TAMPA — Jasson Dominguez isn’t sure when or where he might fit into the Yankees’ outfield later this season.
For now, he’s just thinking about his recovery from Tommy John surgery and trying to make the most of his time surrounded by his once and future major league teammates before they head into the regular season and he remains in Tampa, rehabbing.
“I always learn from being around them,” Dominguez said Tuesday at Steinbrenner Field. “A lot of these guys have been around a long time and I want to get back there.”
Dominguez turned 21 in February and opened plenty of eyes in his eight-game stint following his call-up to the majors in September after only nine games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, before a torn UCL cut short his season.
The switch hitter smacked four home runs in his first seven games and is back to swinging from both sides of the plate in practice.
“My swing feels good and normal from both sides now,’’ Dominguez said. “Obviously, I want to get back to playing soon and to the majors, but you can’t rush it.”
The Yankees have Aaron Judge, who is dealing with abdominal discomfort, as well as newly acquired Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham in their outfield.
It remains to be seen how it will all fit together when Dominguez is back to 100 percent, but given the recent health woes in Yankee camp, it might not be a problem.
But Dominguez hasn’t let his mind go that far into the future.
“I can’t control that, so I can’t worry about it much,’’ Dominguez said. “I’m focused on my rehab and trying to get to know the guys as much as I can. It’s a great group of outfielders. It would be an honor to play with them.”
And if there’s no room for him later in the year on the major league roster and Dominguez is sent back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre?
“We don’t know what’s gonna happen with everything,’’ Dominguez said.
Grisham, like Dominguez, has minor league options left, so the Yankees might have some decisions to make.
But in the meantime, they just want to get Dominguez back to where he was physically prior to the injury when he showed an ability to hit the ball hard, with a top exit velocity of 110.2 mph, as well as those eight homers.