NEW YORK — On Friday, top New York Yankees prospect Jasson Domínguez was with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, starting in left field and batting second.

On Sunday, Major League Baseball active rosters will expand from 26 players to 28. That would allow the Yankees to call up Domínguez without needing to kick someone else out to make room for him.

Will they do it?

“I don’t know,” manager Aaron Boone said before Friday’s series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium. “We’ll see. We haven’t made that decision. So, I don’t know.”

But should they call up Domínguez? The Athletic’s Yankees beat reporters Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty discuss.

Jasson Domínguez zooms around the bases on his first triple of 2024 in 11.75 seconds! (110.5 mph EV, no less.)

Only SS Anthony Volpe has posted a faster home-to-third among players still in the @Yankees org this season.@swbrailriders | @NYYPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/LiIE28HmBo

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 28, 2024

Should the Yankees call up Domínguez?

Kirschner: This should be an obvious decision given the options available to the club. The answer is a resounding yes. He may be a difference-maker for the Yankees down the stretch and into October.

Left field has been one of the weakest positions for the Yankees this year. Going into Friday, their combined 84 wRC+ ranked 24th in MLB. Defensively, they were 13th among all teams in outs above average in left field. And they were last in Statcast’s baserunning above average. The bar would be low for Domínguez to prove that he could outperform what the Yankees have already received from left fielders this year.

The Yankees will likely be cautious about how much Domínguez plays if he is called up, as they’ll want to ensure he retains his rookie status for 2025. He needs to stay under the career 130 at-bat threshold to be considered a rookie next year (Domínguez has 35 career at-bats). If he wins Rookie of the Year in 2025, the Yankees would receive a conditional draft pick at the end of the first round.

There’s no downside. They need to see if Domínguez can win the everyday left-field job.

Kuty: You make compelling points, Chris. I’ll play Devil’s Advocate.

Would calling up Domínguez and giving him a month-long audition be exciting? Absolutely. Could you also argue that it may be impractical? Perhaps.

There’s no guarantee Domínguez would arrive in the Bronx and immediately put on the show he did in his debut last year, hitting four home runs with a .980 OPS in eight games before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament. That was electric. It would also be asking a lot.

Last year, when Domínguez broke into the majors on Sept. 1, the Yankees were hardly in contention. They were three games under .500. They were 17 1/2 games back in the AL East. The Yankees talked like they were still going for it, but a playoff-less October felt like a near inevitability. There was little pressure for Domínguez.

This would be different. Could he handle it? He absolutely could. He’s handled all the hype that came with his franchise-record $5.1 million signing bonus at age 16. But there’s no denying it would be a lot to put on the shoulders of the 21-year-old. Not to mention our next question …

If they called him up, what happens to the roster?

Kirschner: Yankees manager Aaron Boone said if Domínguez were to be called up, they would ideally want him playing regularly to not stunt his development. That would mean Alex Verdugo would lose his starting job. It may also mean Trent Grisham gets pushed down further on the depth chart. On the days Aaron Judge started as the team’s designated hitter, Domínguez could start in center field.

Maybe the Yankees wouldn’t want to ruffle the clubhouse by replacing Verdugo — whom Judge personally advocated trading for this offseason and in years prior — to start a rookie. But Verdugo has had nearly a season’s worth of games to prove he shouldn’t compete with a rookie for his job, and he’s failed.

He’s graded out as a negative offensively, on the base paths and public advanced defensive metrics are split on his value. Is that not enough for the organization to believe it may be able to do better by trying someone different? And if Domínguez doesn’t work out over the next month, well, they’ve remained in first place with Verdugo being one of MLB’s worst everyday position players.

There seems to be a higher likelihood of Domínguez being a more impactful player than Verdugo in October.

Kuty: I could see that. You certainly could argue that Domínguez has a higher ceiling offensively than Verdugo — even in the short term. There’s no sugarcoating it: The 28-year-old has not been what the Yankees expected at the plate.

The Devil’s Advocate argument, though, would be that Verdugo has actually looked like a strong and, at times, excellent defensive left fielder. He’s had a few memorable gaffes, but he’s also someone I think makes just about all the routine plays, sacrifices his body and has a heck of an arm. Plus, he’d be much more familiar with the position than Domínguez when it’s crunch time in October.

If the Yankees were to promote Domínguez and bench Verdugo, I think there would be a non-zero chance the team could designate Trent Grisham for assignment and have Verdugo take over his role as fourth outfielder.

Understanding that it’s a small sample, Verdugo has looked a bit better at the plate lately. Entering Friday, he was on a five-game hitting streak (.421 BA, 1.029 OPS), which coincided with when he switched to batting gloves made with materials that stopped causing allergic reactions on his skin. Verdugo struck out in all three of his at-bats Friday night.

As for the clubhouse, I think it would handle the move fine. Like you said, Verdugo has had plenty of time to prove himself, and it’s not like they would be replacing him with a nobody.

What do we think happens?

It’s not a slam dunk that Domínguez will be the choice on Sunday. If the Yankees decide to make an internal move, Domínguez is likely the candidate.

However, the Yankees could opt for an external candidate. The St. Louis Cardinals designated Tommy Pham for assignment on Friday. If the Yankees are looking for a platoon partner for Verdugo, signing Pham might be a good move. Pham has a .762 OPS this year against left-handed pitching, whereas Verdugo had a .609 OPS against lefties entering Friday. Another external option would be Robbie Grossman, whom the Texas Rangers designated for assignment on Thursday. Grossman’s OPS against lefties is .819 OPS this season and .809 for his career.

All season, the Yankees have lauded Verdugo for his bat-to-ball skills. If they wanted to keep playing him often, having a platoon partner could be the best way to maximize his production.

(Photo of Jasson Domínguez: Cliff Welch / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Flag football players from the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCK) district will have access to new football equipment for the district’s inaugural season for girls. 

Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Gary Stills and former NFL wide receiver Tim Barnett were on hand for a district-wide girls flag football event where the athletes and schools were surprised with flag belts and other equipment. 

Nike provided jerseys through a $100,000 grant.

K.C. Wolf, the Chiefs’ mascot, also made an appearance at the event. 

“It’s groundbreaking. We’re making history out here,” Sheila Sickau, the Chiefs’ youth marketing manager said.

Sickau added that the growth of girls flag football helps level the playing field for high school athletes.

The Kansas City Chiefs donated flag football equipment to Kansas City, Kansas Schools. (Fox News )

“I think it’s finally catching up to the times of giving girls an opportunity to play football in a safe spot. A lot of the girls, before flag football took off, the only option was co-ed tackle,” Sickau said.

EX-NFL STAR DREW BLEDSOE THINKS PLAYING OLYMPIC FLAG FOOTBALL MIGHT BE FUN, WOULD WANT TYREEK HILL ON TEAM

The girls who attended the event participated in a series of drills as they continue to prepare for a six-week flag football season. Only one KCK school had a girls flag football team in 2023, according to Fox 4 Kansas City.

The Kansas City Chief’s logo before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals Dec 31, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The high school district’s flag football season begins Sept. 14. 

Flag football has become increasingly popular in the U.S., and the sport will be included in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

His life was changing. A winning lottery ticket was approaching. Tony Voda was ready.

He was going to be rich. He was going to be famous. Magic was happening, and as the baseball fell from the night sky, Tony Voda was ready to live a miracle.

Shohei Ohtani was in the process of entering baseball’s 40-40 club with a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning last week at Chavez Ravine, one of the most dramatic blasts in the long history of Dodger Stadium, and this anonymous insurance analyst from Minneapolis was right in the middle of it.

“Right up until the last second against the beautiful black night sky, I can see the ball, it’s seared into my mind, this is happening, this is really happening,” Voda recalls. “The crowd is screaming but you’re not hearing it, your senses shut down, tunnel vision happens, and all you can think of is, don’t mess this up.”

Then the unthinkable occurred, an event that forever changed Tony Voda on his way to becoming a hero.

He messed it up.

A gazillion video replays have chillingly shown it a gazillion times.

He messed it up.

“A life-changing event was in my hands,” he said, “and I literally dropped the ball.”

This, then, would seem to be not your usual home-run catching story of good luck and great fortune, but a tale of deep remorse and enduring regret.

Except for one twist as pronounced as Ohtani’s swing.

On a Friday night when Tony Voda figured he was cursed, he was actually blessed.

For the man who will forever be known for one of the biggest fan errors in Dodger Stadium history, it wasn’t about what he lost, it was about what he gained.

Tony Voda waves before a game between the Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 23.

(Courtesy of Tony Voda)

It looks so easy and natural on television. But in real life, catching a home-run ball is about as easy as catching a raindrop in a thunderstorm.

“The average fan has no idea,” says Matt Walker, one of a dozen members of “Dodgerhawks,” a group of season-ticket holders that gathers at Dodger Stadium in an attempt to catch homers.

It’s nearly impossible.

“Did you see it clearly off the bat because you’ve been following every pitch? Are you on your phone? Is it hooking? Drawing? Is the wind a factor?” Walker explained. “The crowd is elbow to elbow and you’re getting pushed and shoved usually. Is it going to clear the wall, are you at risk of interference, is the outfielder bearing down?”

Walker said the conditions for such a catch are frightful.

“Are you standing in spilled beer, water bottles, and loose peanut shells? Are the lights a factor? The sun?” he said. “Oh yeah, and it’s coming in at 100-plus miles-per-hour. And the whole thing takes maybe three seconds.”

Tony Voda, 40, knows these truths. He has been chasing home run balls in stadiums all over the country for 15 years and he’s caught exactly two.

“Home run balls are important to me because of that deep childhood tie to the game,” he said. “You see them going into the stands as a young kid and you not only want to be the guy who hit it, but the kid who has the souvenir.

“It’s one of the only pieces of sports that rarely makes it into the stands but is coveted by many because of how elusive it is.”

It’s so elusive, Voda paid several hundred dollars a couple of months ago for one of the Dodgers’ celebrated home-run seats lining the outfield walls. He picked a random game against the Tampa Rays as part of a longer baseball trip through California.

He had no idea Ohtani would be on the verge of becoming only the sixth player in baseball history to reach 40 home runs and 40 steals in a single season. He could never have dreamed that Ohtani would steal his 40th base in the fourth inning and then come to the plate with bases loaded into the ninth with a chance to make history.

“I would have been happy if any Dodger scrub hit it to me,” he said. “And then this happened.”

This, meaning Ohtani lofting a ball high toward the right-center field wall.

This, meaning that ball barely clearing the fence and falling directly toward Voda’s rainbow-colored glove.

This, meaning the ball bouncing off Voda’s glove and back to the field, where it is finally picked up by outfielder Jose Siri and thrown back into the stands far beyond Voda’s reach.

Grand slam. Grand boot.

“Every fan’s worst nightmare,” said Walker.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a walk-off grand slam against the Tampa Bay Rays for his 40th home run of the season on Aug. 23.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Gone was a chance to meet Ohtani and return the ball, which Voda said he would have done. Gone was a six-figure payday if Ohtani didn’t want to exchange anything for the ball. Gone was the greatest moment of Voda’s baseball life.

He knew all this, and he knew it immediately. Watch the replay and notice that the moment the ball bounces off Voda’s glove, he puts his hands on his head with an expression of deep pain.

“Pure shock, disbelief,” Voda said. “My heart sank.”

As he stood there stewing in his agony, fully expecting jeers and catcalls from the surrounding pavilion crowd, the strangest thing happened.

His phone buzzed. It was Walker, who had met Voda before the game with other Dodgerhawks. He had already watched the replay and wanted to console Voda immediately.

“What just happened? What did I do?” Voda moaned into the phone.

“You did your best,” Walker told him. “You did all you could.”

Sure enough, the replay shows a fan on Voda’s left bumping the pinky of his glove just a few inches before the ball landed, enough to prevent the ball from burrowing deep into the glove’s pocket.

“I guess it’s the ‘Minnesota Nice’ in me, I should have boxed the guy out, but I just didn’t want to interfere with another fan,” said Voda.

Also noticeable was Voda’s refusal to move to the edge of the fence, from where he might have had a cleaner shot at the ball.

“I didn’t want to get called for fan interference and see the home run taken away, are you kidding me?” said Voda. “I was being very careful.”

Too careful? Maybe. But maybe not.

The good sportsmanship with which Voda handled himself was noticed not only by Walker, but by several fans who surrounded Voda while he was accepting that initial phone call.

“You could hear people all around Tony while I was talking to him, and everybody was already consoling him,” said Walker. “It was as if, when he put his hands over his head, we all put our hands over our heads.”

The outpouring of support continued throughout the ensuing drone show, fans from all sections surrounding him and patting his back and sharing his regret, with one fan even accompanying Voda to his car afterward to commiserate on his bad luck. Then there were the words of encouragement from one stranger he’ll never forget.

“A guy came up to me and just said, ‘Next time, poppa,’” Voda recalled. “Like he was actually giving me a pep talk.”

Dodger Stadium can be a cantankerous place, particularly when a ball is hit into the stands. If a fan catches an opposing player’s home run, the verbal pressure to throw the ball back can be deafening.

But on this night, Dodger Stadium was a sympathetic, understanding place that filled Tony Voda with a warmth that no catch could match.

By the time he returned to his hotel he had received several dozen texts and many online words of support. There was no trolling. There were no insults. There was only a sense of kinship among Dodger fans who, it turns out, not only are historically forgiving of the players, but are also forgiving of each other.

“To catch the ball would have been potentially life-changing, but, so, too, were the lessons I took away from missing it,” said Voda. “I know it sounds cheesy and silly, but while I may have lost a ball, I gained more love from Dodger fans than I knew I had, more love than I thought I deserved.”

Voda is back in Minneapolis now, but he is hoping to return to Dodger Stadium again one day, hang out with the Dodgerhawks, buy another home run seat, stick out that rainbow glove on a long fly ball, pray again for a miracle while knowing full well that he has already lived one.

“I love L.A.,” he said.

Moments before Ohtani’s swing, a security guard standing next to Voda wondered out loud if this game was headed for a movie script ending.

In all ways, it was, as Ohtani wasn’t the only one who went deep.

So, too, did humanity.