TAMPA – Sunny skies made for a picture-perfect day at George M. Steinbrenner Discipline because the Yankees hosted the Tigers on Sunday.
Until you occurred to be Jasson Domínguez, whose defensive considerations resurfaced thanks to 2 mishaps in left subject. The primary may very well be blamed on the new glowing circle within the sky as Domínguez, carrying sun shades and utilizing his glove for further shade, settled below a flyball earlier than shedding sight of it within the third inning.
Jasson Dominguez loses the ball within the solar, however the Yankees get the out at house pic.twitter.com/p5dScF3yOC
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Aaron Boone not too long ago mentioned that the Florida solar would take a look at the 22-year-old Domínguez, a prescient remark after the Yankees’ anticipated left fielder struggled on the place final season.
“He’s been working really hard. We’ve been trying to simulate a lot of the things that you’re gonna get, especially in spring training where you’re coming off an offseason,” Yankees outfield coach Luis Rojas mentioned after a 4-0 loss. “You get the Florida wind, you get the Florida high skies, you get the Florida sun. Just a lot of factors that are thrown at you right away, and we’ve tried to simulate that for the last two, three weeks knowing that he’s going to get it.
“Today he got the sun early. We saw it. He did a good job getting on the ball early, and then the ball got in the sun. He just didn’t know what to do.”
The second poor play occurred within the fourth inning when Domínguez, operating a large distance, couldn’t observe down an Andy Ibáñez double within the left-center hole. Domínguez took a nasty route on the run-scoring play, although Boone wasn’t certain one would have resulted in a catch.
“I doubt it,” the supervisor mentioned. “That’s a long way. I’ll look at it more in a little bit, but I would say no.”
Rojas additionally needed to evaluate video. Watching in real-time, he felt Domínguez acquired away from his correct operating type towards the tip of the route.
“I don’t know what the catch probability was on that,” Rojas mentioned, referring to a stat that wasn’t publicly accessible for the exhibition contest, “but it’s definitely something that we’re going to break down and talk about.”
¡Jasson Domínguez! 🤪 pic.twitter.com/cTUTXANhmi
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Left subject protection was a serious focus for Domínguez over the offseason, because the pure middle fielder made a number of blunders late final season as he did not supplant Alex Verdugo earlier than the postseason. Domínguez, who didn’t get many minor league reps in left final 12 months because of accidents, spent a piece of his offseason on the Yankees’ participant improvement complicated. There he labored on his reads and angles with Rojas.
“It’s a little different,” Domínguez mentioned of left earlier in camp, “but I think it’ll be good.”
Domínguez didn’t discuss after exiting Sunday’s recreation.
The Bombers have made it identified that they plan on deploying Domínguez in left, a place that may be significantly difficult at Yankee Stadium, and that he’ll get numerous reps there this spring.
Newcomer Cody Bellinger has expertise on the place, however he’s penciled in because the Yankees’ on a regular basis centerfielder. Over the offseason, Boone defined that he would favor to maintain Domínguez in a single spot. Bellinger, who also can play first base and proper subject, can transfer round as wanted with Aaron Decide in proper, Paul Goldschmidt at first and Trent Grisham offering middle subject protection off the bench.
On Sunday, Boone reiterated that he plans on giving Domínguez a “full runway” in left as a result of he’s not frightened about shifting Bellinger at “any given moment,” ought to he have to. The skipper isn’t essentially planning to flip-flop the 2 outfielders’ positions throughout video games this spring.
“There’s no reason [Domínguez] shouldn’t be able to handle left field,” Boone mentioned.
Rojas, in the meantime, described Domínguez as a “five-tool player.” Whereas the coach admitted that The Martian is “still getting acclimated” in left, he added it’s “inevitable” that the younger outfielder’s defensive abilities will develop.
“We all know he’s got great tools, and we really, really think that he’s gonna be successful,” Rojas mentioned. “What happened here today are just really good teaching moments for us and Jasson.”
