Yankees Place Top Prospect in Sunday's Lineup in Shocking Move

The Yankees' top prospect was appointed as the "27th man" for Sunday's game.

Sep 8, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Jasson Dominguez (89) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Out of nowhere, "The Martian" has landed.

On Sunday, prior to the MLB Little League Classic, the New York Yankees announced that outfielder Jasson Dominguez was placed on the active roster, serving as their "27th man" for the game against the Detroit Tigers. Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated later that Dominguez will be in the starting lineup, but will be sent back down to the minors after the game.

Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees appointed OF Jasson Domínguez (#89) as their “27th Man.”

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 18, 2024

Jasson Dominguez is in the lineup tonight, Aaron Boone said.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) August 18, 2024

Dominguez is currently the Bronx Bombers' No.1 prospect according to MLB.com; this will be his first game at the big league level since September 9, 2023. The 21-year-old phenom universally impressed by accumulating 0.3 fWAR in just eight major league games last year, hitting .258/.303/.677 with four home runs and a 161 wRC+ before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery.

This year, Dominguez was rehabbing from the surgery until he got injured again, this time with an oblique strain; he has since returned from that injury and has been playing with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He's been productive in the minors, hitting .298/.365/.477 with six doubles, seven home runs, 24 RBI, and 22 runs scored.

With Dominguez currently healthy and considered major league ready, it was only a matter of time before the Yankees would call him up once again. However, he was generally expected to be called up in September upon roster expansions, so this August call-up came as a shock. Even stranger was the circumstances in which Dominguez was placed on the roster; the 27th man rule is usually in place for doubleheaders.

How we're lining up for the #LittleLeagueClassic 🙌#RepBX pic.twitter.com/bUEfs4P1P5

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 18, 2024

Regardless of it being temporary, Yankee fans are already thrilled to see their young phenom back in the show. Expect the Little League Classic to generate a considerable amount of hype with The Martian penciled into the lineup.