Yankees prospect Jasson Domínguez undergoes Tommy John surgery after tearing UCL in 8th MLB game
Jasson Domínguez will likely be out through the start of next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the New York Yankees announced Wednesday.
The surgery was reportedly performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, and comes with an anticipated recovery time of nine to 10 months. Position players typically come back more quickly from Tommy John surgery than pitchers, who usually miss nearly a year.
Today OF Jasson Domínguez underwent “Tommy John” reconstruction surgery, which included the addition of internal bracing. The surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. The anticipated recovery process is expected to take 9-10 months.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 20, 2023
If Domínguez is able to return in nine months, that would put his 2024 debut somewhere in mid-to-late June.
Domínguez, the No. 74 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, might be able to come back even quicker than usual, thanks to the "internal bracing" the Yankees mentioned. The procedure is a relatively new invention in sports medicine and was used to great success in the 2021 case of Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers, who needed only five and a half months to return from a torn Achilles tendon after receiving a brace from Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is another recent recipient of an internal brace, and Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani seemed to undergo a similar procedure.
Domínguez made his highly anticipated debut Sept. 1, homering off Justin Verlander in his first at-bat. He went 8-for-31 with four homers and was supposed to ride out the season as the Yankees' starting center fielder until he tore the UCL in his throwing arm in his eighth MLB game.
That injury continued the theme of the Yankees' 2023 season, which has been described by the team's general manager as a "disaster." Domínguez, once considered one of the most hyped international amateur prospects ever, has loomed for years as a potential star for the Yankees after signing a franchise-record $5.1 million bonus as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2019.
