Yankees top prospect Jasson Dominguez set to undergo Tommy John surgery

2023 really can’t end soon enough for the New York Yankees. The team has battled an obscene number of injuries all year long, and now Aaron Boone has officially confirmed that top outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez — whose hot start to his MLB career gave New York reason for long-term optimism at the end of a profoundly disappointing season — will in fact need to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the torn UCL in his right elbow.

Dominguez is expected to miss 9-10 months, which — assuming he undergoes the operation at some point in the next few days — would put his return some time around next year’s All-Star break. (If you’re trying to use Bryce Harper’s freakishly fast rehab as a guidepost, well, don’t; for one, Harper defied all medical convention to get back by early May, and for two, the Phillies had far more reason to bring Harper back as soon as possible than the Yankees will have with a young player they hope will be a future cornerstone.)

The 20-year-old was off to a sensational start to his MLB career, hitting .258/.303/.677 with four homers and a steal in his first eight games since being promoted at the beginning of September. It was all the more impressive considering the hype and anticipation that have followed him since he signed with the Yankees as the top international free agent in his class back in 2019, drawing comparisons to everyone from Mike Trout to Mickey Mantle. Dominguez may not have been quite that good over the past couple weeks, but he was awfully impressive, and he certainly looks like the future in center field for New York. None of that should be meaningfully affected by this diagnosis; unlike with pitchers, Tommy John is generally no big deal for position players, provided they give their elbows enough time to properly heal.