New York Yankees call up top prospect Jasson Dominguez - ESPN

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees called up top prospect Jasson Domínguez ahead of Monday's series opener against the Kansas City Royals, abruptly answering the question hovering over the club since rosters were expanded at the beginning of the month. Domínguez, 21, was in the Yankees' starting lineup Monday, playing center field and batting sixth. Manager Aaron Boone said he will play «a lot» as the Yankees continue battling the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East title.

«This is a dream,» Domínguez said. «Since I started playing, I wanted to play in the big leagues and now I'm here again and it's exciting and I'm happy [about] it.»

The Yankees' decision to not promote the switch-hitter known as The Martian on Sept. 1, when teams were first allowed to field 28-man rosters, was surprising to outsiders. A significant swath of the fan base reacted with furor. Domínguez was producing at the Triple-A level while Alex Verdugo, the Yankees' everyday left fielder, was one of the worst everyday players in the majors since June. Why wait?

Boone gave two primary reasons: First, injuries — a late start to the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last September and an oblique strain in June — disjointed Domínguez's season and limited his game action. Secondly, Domínguez would only get called up to play every day, and Yankees decision-makers decided they wanted to give Verdugo, a 28-year-old veteran with postseason experience, more time to rebound.

On Friday, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters in Chicago that Verdugo gave the team «the best chance to win.»

Three days later, after taking two of three games from the Cubs but scoring just six runs, the Yankees were back home, Domínguez had a locker in their clubhouse and