Shohei Ohtani Finds Company in Promising Yankees ‘Alien’ Jasson Dominguez on an Unpopular MLB List

2023 has been a year of injuries in baseball, it seems. The New York Yankees have suffered through several of them, derailing their season. From Nestor Cortes Jr. to Anthony Rizzo, the baseball gods keep dealing them one blow after another. While the club somehow survived the captain’s absence for two months, will the latest Jasson Dominguez injury drown them in their sorrows?

When Aaron Judge broke his toe at Dodger Stadium, all hope for the season was lost. Then he returned in prime form, and the front office decided to have some Baby Bombers join him. But just like Judge’s rival from the West Coast, Shohei Ohtani is dealing with a season-ending injury, so is a Yankees rookie.

Jasson Dominguez Joins Shohei Ohtani With a UCL Tear

The phrase ‘UCL tear’ evokes as much fear in an athlete as it does fans because it usually means the conclusion will be a Tommy John surgery. It’s a high-grade injury requiring a high-grade procedure and requires at least six months of recovery. And after Angels’ superstar Shohei Ohtani suffered a UCL tear in late August, the team announced that he will not pitch again this season. The same goes for Dominguez, who has played his last game of the season.

The switch hitter arrived as a hope for the late season, making history in almost every game. The youngest player since 1900 to smash home runs in four of his first seven AL/NL games, he lived up to his reputation as ‘The Martian’. But in joining baseball’s unicorn on a list no one wanted to see him on, hopes have been brutally dashed.

As @Yankeelibrarian posted on X, “The Yankees have had a lot of lows, but Jasson Dominguez tearing his UCL has to be the worst thing to happen in 2023.” The Bronx team has borne the wrath of the fanbase all year long but this incident just makes it seem like they’re cursed.

How Long Will the New York Yankees Rookie Be Out for Recovery?

Six months is an ideal time frame but unfortunately, not everyone is Bryce Harper, who made a comeback in just five and a half months. Yankees manager Aaron Boone predicts at least an eight to nine months recovery period for Jasson. This would mean Dominguez would miss the first half of 2024, returning by the All-Star break.

READ MORE – “I’ve Seen Enough”- Yankees Number 2 Prospect Jasson Dominguez Leaves Fans in Disbelief After His First Spring Training Homer

“It’s definitely very shocking news,” the rookie said. “You’re never expecting for this to be the result. Now understanding what happened, we have to look forward and go through it.”

While the Pinstripers managed to win the tail end of the season with the youngsters, they’ll once again have to manage without him. The only hope is that he will come back healthy next year.

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