BOSTON — The Yankees are finally giving Estevan Florial another chance.
Five months after designating him for assignment, the Yankees selected Florial’s contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday, calling him up to replace the injured Jasson Dominguez ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Red Sox.
Florial, the 25-year-old former top prospect, had been passed over for a promotion multiple times this season after struggling to take advantage of previous call-ups.
But the left-handed hitting outfielder continued to rake at Triple-A, batting .284 with 28 home runs, 25 steals and a .945 OPS.
He had also struck out 144 times in 482 plate appearances, with the swing-and-miss tendencies being one of the biggest knocks against him.
The Yankees had an open spot on the 40-man roster — and had already churned through the likes of outfielders Willie Calhoun, Billy McKinney, Franchy Cordero and Greg Allen, with Dominguez on the IL and fellow prospect Everson Pereira now manning left field — which cleared the way for Florial to be promoted after Dominguez learned Sunday he had a torn UCL.
Dominguez is expected to miss nine to 10 months after undergoing surgery.
Florial could receive his most consistent playing time over the final three weeks of the season in center field if the Yankees want to give him a final chance to prove he could help them in the future.
If he does not remain on the 40-man roster through the offseason, he could become a minor-league free agent and try to latch on elsewhere.
Florial entered Monday having played 30 career games in the majors since 2020, batting .185 with a .580 OPS and 21 strikeouts in 63 plate appearances.
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