Dominguez tries right field during Triple-A rehab assignment for Yankees

Jasson Domínguez’s first Triple-A reps back did more than mark a return from injury. The Yankees used the 23-year-old in right field during his rehab assignment with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, a notable positional shift that hints at how New York may be thinking about his path once he is healthy.

That matters because Domínguez has rarely played right field professionally. He is more familiar on the left side or in center, but the Yankees are clearly exploring flexibility while he works back from the low-grade sprain of his left AC joint that kept him on the injured list since May 8. The injury came when he collided with the left-field wall at Yankee Stadium, an ugly reminder that his game-changing athleticism can also come with risk.

Domínguez began his rehab assignment on June 5 with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders after Aaron Boone said he could start as soon as Friday. The club had already been treating his recovery as a day-to-day process, and his assignment was paired with live batting practice work at Yankee Stadium as he built back toward game speed. The Yankees have not rushed him, and they also have not locked him into one defensive lane.

The right-field trial is revealing in a broader roster sense. Cody Bellinger has been in the conversation for left field at Yankee Stadium, where the larger territory is a tougher defensive assignment, and that gives Domínguez a possible opening on the other side if the Yankees decide the glove fit works better there. MLB.com had already noted earlier in spring training that Domínguez’s role for 2026 was still unsettled, and Brian Cashman had previously acknowledged the possibility of sending him to Triple-A during the second half of last season.

For Domínguez, this rehab stint is about more than getting healthy after a shoulder injury that was expected to sideline him for at least a few weeks. It is also a test of whether the Yankees can use his speed, bat and athleticism in a more flexible major-league role. With only 37 Triple-A plate appearances on his record before this assignment, every inning in right field carries weight. The Yankees are not just waiting for Domínguez to return. They are deciding how to use him when he does.