No, not just the home run.

Kansas City Royals v New York Yankees

Kansas City Royals v New York Yankees / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages

For at least one night, Alex Verdugo and Jasson Dominguez proved they can share the same lineup and concurrently contribute to a Yankees victory.

Down the stretch? Verdugo knows it’s not going to happen every day. He, along with Giancarlo Stanton and, to a lesser extent, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, will retreat into the nightly nap pod to give Dominguez a chance to shine (and likely earn a starting role in the postseason).

For at least one night, Alex Verdugo and Jasson Dominguez proved they can share the same lineup and concurrently contribute to a Yankees victory.

Down the stretch? Verdugo knows it’s not going to happen every day. He, along with Giancarlo Stanton and, to a lesser extent, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, will retreat into the nightly nap pod to give Dominguez a chance to shine (and likely earn a starting role in the postseason).

But that doesn’t mean Verdugo’s number won’t be called in a key moment. Every opportunity he gets represents a chance to fight for a non-guaranteed October bench spot, and if he earns the nod, he’s going to be asked to deliver in the spotlight, whether or not he’s starting.

Whether or not Dominguez’s promotion lit a fire under Verdugo Monday remains up for debate. But the Yankees’ much-maligned starting left fielder destroyed a two-run homer to cap an inning where Dominguez singled and ran wild, stealing a run earlier in the frame. After the game, Verdugo — who came with plenty of personal baggage prior to joining the Yankees — somehow delivered a quote that typifies a winning mentality more than anything this soundbite-averse team normally delivers.

Couple this with Nestor Cortes’ fightin’ words over the weekend, and it kind of feels like the Dawg Days of April might be returning.

Yankees’ Alex Verdugo took the right cue from Jasson Dominguez promotion

Contrast, “If I lose a little bit of playing time, I lose a little bit of playing time” with Aaron Hicks opening 2023 by saying, “I have no idea what my role is,” and it’s clear that an impressive locker room attitude adjustment has come from an unexpected source.

Surely, much like Cortes, Verdugo is silently angered by the reality that his leading role may be stripped away from him down the stretch and into October. But, as he surely also knows, as long as he’s on the playoff roster, the moment will find him, and it’ll be on his shoulders to take advantage.

Neither Cortes nor Verdugo are thrilled, at the moment, but both were also sharpened by iron in their most recent opportunities in the spotlight. At the end of the day, both would gladly absorb their recent agitation if it means a ring. That’s refreshing.