ARLINGTON, Texas — Jasson Dominguez arrived in Arlington this week with a cloud hanging over his roster spot. By Wednesday morning, the Yankees had removed it.
New York designated outfielder Randal Grichuk for assignment and called up infielder Max Schuemann from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to open a roster spot for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez, who made his MLB debut Wednesday afternoon in the series finale against the Texas Rangers.
The roster move did more than just accommodate a pitching debut. It solved a problem the Yankees had quietly been navigating all week. With Giancarlo Stanton on the 10-day injured list with a calf injury and Anthony Volpe expected back from his own IL assignment as soon as this weekend, the Yankees had faced the prospect of a painful decision involving their 23-year-old outfielder.
By letting Grichuk go instead, the Yankees bought Dominguez a clear path to continued playing time.
Grichuk never found his footing in pinstripes
Grichuk signed a minor league deal with the Yankees toward the end of February and earned a spot on the Opening Day roster as a non-roster invitee. The 34-year-old had a long track record against left-handed pitching, which was the primary reason the Yankees brought him in.
But Grichuk never delivered on that promise. He hit just .125 in nine spring training games and never built momentum once the regular season began. The sporadic nature of his role made it hard to stay sharp. Over 33 plate appearances across 16 games, he batted .194 with a .535 OPS, one home run, four doubles and two RBI.
The specific reason the Yankees brought him in made his final numbers even more damaging. Against left-handed pitchers, he batted just .227 with a .625 OPS. He had started to show signs of life at the end, going 5-for-15 over his last five games, but it was too little and far too late for the Yankees to justify keeping him when better alternatives existed on the roster.
The DFA that changes Dominguez’s entire situation
Dominguez was called up Sunday after Stanton went down. The Yankees had kept him at Triple-A through the early weeks of the season because of two acknowledged weaknesses in his game: his defense and his right-handed bat. With Stanton, Judge, Bellinger and Grisham all healthy at the start of the year, there was no natural opening for a player whose best role was DH against right-handed pitching.
Stanton’s calf injury changed that calculus entirely. The DH slot opened, and the Yankees moved quickly. Before his call-up, Dominguez had posted a .326 average and an .893 OPS at Triple-A with three home runs, 15 RBI and eight stolen bases in 2026. He also showed measurable improvement from the right side of the plate, putting up a 1.172 OPS as a right-handed hitter in Scranton.
Since joining the Yankees, Dominguez had gone 1-for-8 in the team’s two wins against Texas this week. The Yankees were not panicking. The production at Triple-A was genuine. The goal was simply to keep him in the lineup against right-handed starters and let the at-bats accumulate.
With Grichuk gone, that plan now has a much better chance of surviving Volpe’s return.
Schuemann call and the Volpe equation
Calling up Max Schuemann on Tuesday served as the corresponding move for Stanton going on the IL. The utility infielder gives the Yankees depth at multiple positions while Volpe finishes his rehab assignment after shoulder surgery.
Once Volpe is activated, which the Yankees expected could happen as early as this weekend, Schuemann becomes the natural option to be sent back to Triple-A. That move preserves Dominguez’s roster spot rather than forcing the Bronx Bombers to choose between their young outfielder and a utility piece they had just recalled.
The Yankees also have flexibility in how they construct their lineup with Dominguez available. Paul Goldschmidt can start at first base against left-handed pitchers, allowing Ben Rice to slide into the DH role. That arrangement makes Dominguez’s spot less critical on nights when the matchup calls for a different lineup configuration, which reduces the pressure on any single outfielder to do too much.
Dominguez’s roster status and what comes next
Even with Grichuk gone, Dominguez’s time in the majors may still have a defined ceiling. Once Stanton returns from the 10-day IL, the Yankees would need to find another roster solution. Dominguez is not a strong enough defensive outfielder to serve as a conventional fourth outfielder, and the Yankees have Amed Rosario and Jose Caballero as alternatives who bring more positional versatility.
For now, the math works in Dominguez’s favor. Stanton is not expected to return immediately. The Yankees need a DH against right-handed pitching. Dominguez, who posted the numbers at Triple-A to earn this shot, is the best fit they have for that role.
The Yankees DFA’d Grichuk to make sure he gets that chance. The rest is up to Dominguez.
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