Jasson Dominguez is that thing in the rearview mirror that looks closer than it actually is.

Due to a “severe” oblique strain, Dominguez is headed to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and could play there “within the week,” according to manager Aaron Boone. This is less than five weeks after the Yankees stated it would be “up to eight weeks” before the outfielder was playing in games again.

That immediately elevates him above average much sooner than anticipated for the Yankees, provided he plays well this week at SWB as he continues to prepare for games.

Jasson Dominguez might join the Yankees again shortly. Murray, Noah K., New York Post

Before the Subway Series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Boone stated, “Whenever he starts playing [games], he’s available.” “He’s really near.”

Since June 15, when he injured his oblique during a check swing at Triple-A, Dominguez has not participated in a game.

Boone offered him an eight-week timeline five days later.

At the team’s minor league complex in Tampa, though, Dominguez has been working harder. On Monday, he took on recovering reliever Nick Burdi in live batting practice.

Additionally, the Yankees have not assigned a specific number of games or at-bats to the 21-year-old at Triple-A before they would consider calling him up.

“He’s in play when the situation calls for it,” Boone stated.

Even if Giancarlo Stanton is returning on a similar schedule, some may argue that there is already a need, but that could complicate matters a little.

When Stanton pulled his hamstring on June 22, Dominguez was the logical choice to take Stanton’s position if he had been well.

Now that Dominguez is getting close to being a possibility, Stanton is nearing the end of his own preparation, and this weekend, a decision on whether or not he requires a rehab assignment is anticipated.

It’s expected that Jasson Dominguez will soon be a member of the Yankees Triple-A affiliate.Wenzelberg, Charles, New York Post

However, if Alex Verdugo continues to struggle, the Yankees may still have place for switch-hitting Dominguez in the outfield even if Stanton returns by next week to his usual position at DH.

Verdugo, a left-handed hitter, arrived on Tuesday in the middle of a tough slump that lasted more than a month. His acquisition has been enthusiastically received in the clubhouse, especially by Aaron Judge, who had been pressing the Yankees to sign him even before this winter.

Verdugo was hitting just.148 with a.418 OPS over his previous 29 games before moving to left field and batting eighth against southpaw Jose Quintana of the Mets.

Verdugo’s overall averages have plummeted as a result of the skid; through 98 games, he is batting just.229 with a.653 OPS and 0.4 fWAR.

Apart from a costly error in Baltimore that let the Orioles walk off the Yankees in the last game before the All-Star break, the pending free agent’s defense has been solid in left field for the most part, but his bat has not been up to par.

When the Yankees called up Dominguez in September of last year, he immediately made an impact, batting.258 with four home runs and a.980 OPS in eight games before sustaining a torn UCL that necessitated Tommy John surgery.

Dominguez was blocked at the major league level with their outfield and Stanton both healthy and productive, so the Yankees optioned him to Triple-A on June 12 after he missed 30 days of rehab following the elbow surgery that delayed his season debut.