Ben Rice, Jasson Domínguez named to Yankees’ Opening Day roster
MIAMI — Though both were expected, Yankees manager Aaron Boone solidified two more roster spots Tuesday when he confirmed that Ben Rice and Jasson Domínguez would make the Opening Day club.
The final four spots remained in flux as the team flew to New York.
As the Yankees left loanDepot Park on Tuesday after one last exhibition game against the Marlins, they did so without two bench spots and two bullpen spots finalized as they waited to see which players might become available in the marketplace.
They were known to be looking for a right-handed bat, potentially one who could platoon with Oswaldo Cabrera at third base.
Without any external additions, Oswald Peraza and non-roster invitee Pablo Reyes would fill the two position player spots while Yoendrys Gómez, Yerry De Los Santos and Brent Headrick still were in the running to round out the bullpen.
“I just don’t want to commit to anything with too many things that go on in the industry the last 24-48 hours,” Boone said before a 4-2 loss to the Marlins.
As of Tuesday morning, Rice had not been informed that he made the team — following a red-hot spring when the ball consistently came sizzling off his bat — but Boone made that official later in the day.
He is expected to receive a large share of the at-bats at DH, especially against right-handed pitching.
Will Warren, who is set to start the fourth game of the season next Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, built up to 77 pitches in his final spring outing against the Marlins.
He gave up four runs on five hits (two home runs) and two walks while striking out six.
“I think I fell behind more than I would like to,” Warren said. “I think that’s why the outcome was how it was. … Overall, it was just an OK outing. Wish I would have been better given the spring that I had, going into the season, but the next one counts, so that’s what matters.”
Warren got off to a strong start this spring before getting roughed up a bit in his final two games, but Boone likes where the young righty is at.
“All the stuff’s there and a good buildup day again for him,” Boone said. “Just eliminating some of the mistakes in the center of the plate that have hurt him.”
A day after the Yankees signed him to a major league deal, Ryan Yarbrough made his organizational debut by throwing a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
The lefty reliever said he was drawn to the Yankees because of the reputation of their pitching department, which has had a number of success stories in recent years.
“Especially when you get different perspectives from different people on the outside looking in — see what they’ve seen from afar all these years against me,” the former Ray and Blue Jay said.
J.C. Escarra, who grew up in nearby Hialeah, estimated he had more than 50 friends and family members in attendance Tuesday that gave him an ovation in his first at-bat in the sixth inning.
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