Associated Press: The Yankees took a giant step into finalizing their roster on Saturday, letting outfielder Randal Grichuk know that he made the team despite a .308 spring OPS (no, not OBP) in limited action. His ability to mash lefties (career 118 wRC+ vs. LHP) ended up earning him a place. It was a busy day of roster moves for New York, as they reassigned big-league veterans infielder Paul DeJong and utilityman Seth Brown to minor league camp and optioned utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera and infielder Max Schuemann to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Bryan Hoch | MLB.com: The aforementioned moves helped clear the Yankees’ bench picture, as we now have more clarity about personnel and roles. Barring a huge surprise, New York will go with J.C. Escarra, Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario, and Grichuk as their reserves. All of them will play a lot: except for Escarra, they are all right-handed hitters who perform better while facing lefties giving New York plenty of platoon options to deploy.
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NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: Speaking for the first time since learning he will open the season in Triple-A on Friday, Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez reiterated that the decision didn’t catch him off guard. “They said it first thing, before we even started,” he said Saturday.
Instead of complaining, the switch-hitter had a great game on Saturday, going 2-for-3 with three batted balls over 100 mph, including a three-bagger. The Martian did most of his damage against southpaw Framber Valdez, proof that he has done very well facing lefties and hitting right-handed in the 2026 Grapefruit League. He has a 1.000 OPS with a triple and a homer.
“This spring, my right side has been pretty good,” Dominguez said. “Even when I wasn’t getting many hits, I was hitting the ball well and seeing the pitches well.”
In another roster move, the Yankees sent right-hander Yovanny Cruz to minor league camp, ending his unlikely bid for a roster spot. Cruz tossed another scoreless frame on Saturday, giving him three in spring training with five strikeouts. The flamethrower, who can hit the triple digits but has below-average control, could potentially be a summer asset if he can throw strikes consistently in the minors.
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