Yankees takeaways: Jasson Domínguez uncertainty, vagueness on Anthony Volpe, more

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He'll have a CT scan Thursday. Jerome Miron / Imagn Images Share articleARLINGTON, Texas — Elmer Rodríguez was in the middle of playing “Call of Duty: Warzone” on Monday night when the receptionist at the TownePlace Suites in Moosic, Penn., phoned his room, telling him he needed to come downstairs. “It was so weird, like, 11:40 at night, they’re calling me,” Rodríguez said. “It was kind of fishy.” Awaiting him in the lobby was Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Shelley Duncan to inform the right-hander to immediately pack for Texas because he needed to get on the plane the next morning for his MLB debut on Wednesday. Rodríguez had an uneven start for the Yankees in the finale of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers. He completed four innings, allowing four hits, four walks and two runs, while striking out three. His command was a bit erratic, but he kept New York in the game. It still wasn’t enough because the Yankees were shut out 3-0 to conclude a nine-game road trip in which they went 7-2. “I think we feel very good about our club,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Wednesday’s game. Here are three takeaways from the Yankees’ series against Texas: Jasson Domínguez has just 10 plate appearances since making his season debut on Monday, and yet there’s uncertainty over when he’ll next step foot in the batter’s box. Domínguez was replaced in Wednesday’s game after getting hit on the left elbow by an 89 mph cutter. The outfielder initially stayed in the game, but Boone said he knew immediately that Domínguez would have to be replaced on defense because of the pain he was in. Domínguez underwent X-rays at Globe Life Field, but the results were inconclusive. He’ll have a CT scan on Thursday to determine whether it’s just a bruise or something more serious. It would be a brutal blow for Domínguez if he needs to miss time. There’s a clear pathway for him to play nearly every day with Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list and Randal Grichuk designated for assignment. “That’s baseball,” Domínguez said of his disappointment about possibly missing time. “It is what it is.” If Domínguez needs an IL stint, the Yankees could wait until Friday to activate Anthony Volpe from his rehab assignment. Other available options on the Yankees’ 40-man roster who could be recalled include Spencer Jones and Oswaldo Cabrera. Jones has a .902 OPS with seven home runs in Triple A, and Cabrera has a paltry .445 OPS, the second-worst mark among qualified hitters in the International League. Jones’ issues remain the same. The power is otherworldly, but he’s still not making enough contact. According to FanGraphs, Jones’ 67.1 percent zone contact rate would be the worst for any MLB player since the stat started being tracked — and of course, Jones’ mark is from Triple A. It’s been expected Volpe would make his season debut Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, but Boone was cagey when asked about that possibility before Wednesday’s game. “We’ll see,” Boone said. “He’s playing again (Wednesday) in (Double-A) Somerset, so we’ll see.” He still didn’t have an answer about Volpe returning to New York after Wednesday’s game, saying he didn’t know what the plans were. Volpe has a .718 OPS across 33 at-bats during his rehab assignment. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said a few weeks ago that the plan all along has been for Volpe to become the Yankees’ everyday starting shortstop when he’s back in the big leagues. But Cashman added the decision was ultimately Boone’s to make. Boone has not committed to making Volpe the starting shortstop. Asked if the plan was for Volpe to return to his starting job, Boone would not answer one way or the other. Since Volpe debuted in 2023, he hasn’t had a stauncher advocate than Boone. It is at least a little interesting that the manager isn’t being as forceful as he has been about his starting status. José Caballero has filled in admirably at shortstop in Volpe’s place. Caballero entered Wednesday’s game with 6 Defensive Runs Saved, the most among all shortstops. He’s been a league-average bat, with a 100 wRC+. It’s the kind of production the Yankees have been wanting from Volpe but have not received through three seasons. There’s nothing positive in Caballero’s underlying metrics to suggest that his offense is remotely sustainable. He’s in the bottom five in xwOBA, which measures contact quality, and average exit velocity. He’s toward the bottom in hard-hit percentage, barrel percentage, walk percentage, whiff rate and strikeout percentage. Considering his metrics, Caballero would need considerable luck to be an average hitter over a larger sample. But he has produced, and that’s what matters most. This has not been suggested by team personnel — and it is mere speculation — but the Yankees could decide to keep Volpe in the minors after his rehab assignment is over. Keeping him in the minors for 20 days would push Volpe’s free agency from 2028 to 2029, a service-time manipulation tactic that is unlikely to occur. However, this would also allow the Yankees to continue riding with Caballero, who has performed. No matter what the Yankees decide to do, this is the most important season yet for Volpe. There’s now someone on the roster who can compete with him for playing time. This week the Yankees promoted No. 1 prospect George Lombard Jr. to Triple A, which makes a 2026 debut a possibility. The runway for Volpe is no longer an endless road. For the first time, he’ll have to perform well because options are waiting to take his job. Globe Life Field will always be a significant part of Aaron Judge’s baseball history, as it was the location of his 62nd home run in 2022. Judge’s first home run of this three-game series nearly landed in the same location as No. 62, while his second home run landed in the second deck over the left-field wall. Statcast estimated that home run traveled 424 feet, but it looked more like 500 feet. “I’ve just come to accept that he’s different than everyone else,” Boone said. “He’s playing a different game. And I mean it. Like, yeah, (his season) has been all right. He’s probably got a 1.000 OPS and is on pace for another 50, 60, 70 home runs or whatever. And, it’s like, he’s doing fine.” There have been only 19 instances of a Yankee with at least 12 home runs through their first 31 games of a season; this is the third time Judge has done it (14 in 2017, 12 in 2022). Judge can be difficult to assess: It hasn’t felt like he’s even gone into one of those modes where he’s unbelievably dominant, and yet he still ranks third in the majors in wRC+. It’s a testament to his greatness. Maybe Globe Life Field will just become a footnote in Judge’s career, because he’s currently on pace to hit … 63 home runs. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms