LAKELAND, Fla. --?Conversations between managers and players while a demotion is taking place during Spring Training can range from difficult to mildly disappointing, depending on where the player fits into a team¡¯s long-term plans.

For Yankees manager Aaron Boone, his chat with top outfield prospect Jasson Dom¨ªnguez after Thursday¡¯s game in Tampa, Fla., was simple and encouraging.

¡°I told him I don¡¯t plan on sending him down very often moving forward,¡± Boone said Friday.

Dom¨ªnguez was reassigned to Minor League camp and is likely ticketed for Double-A Somerset. His time hasn¡¯t quite arrived, but the general understanding is he¡¯ll be back with the Yankees eventually, whether it¡¯s this season or a little further in the future.

Boone said his conversation with the 20-year-old center fielder was ¡°really good, positive.¡±

¡°Really, the message just being, go continue to build on what¡¯s been a really strong 12 months for him,¡± Boone said.

Dom¨ªnguez, the Yankees¡¯ No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was the youngest player in Yankees camp, and he made one of the strongest impressions. The switch-hitter, nicknamed ¡°The Martian,¡± batted .455 (10-for-22) with a double, four homers and nine RBIs in 11 Grapefruit League games. Boone noted how well Dom¨ªnguez was able to control the strike zone from both sides of the plate, showing a maturity that often eludes young players whose eagerness can often hamper their plate discipline.

The only thing Dom¨ªnguez needs now is experience, and more seasoning. That will come in the form of regular playing time in the outfield, something that isn¡¯t plentiful in a big league camp when multiple players are needing reps.

¡°His first big league camp went really well. He fit in really well; he performed really well,¡± Boone said. ¡°Now the work doesn¡¯t end. We believe he can be impactful up here. Continue to gain experience and that message of, ¡®It¡¯s get after it time.¡¯ I¡¯m excited to see where this year takes him.¡±

Even managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner took notice; he was in the building for Dom¨ªnguez¡¯s two-run homer on Saturday off the Phillies¡¯ Connor Brogdon, calling the line-drive, 107.6 mph blast ¡°impressive.¡±

¡°We put a lot of money into him, right?¡± Steinbrenner said, referring to Dom¨ªnguez¡¯s $5.1 million signing bonus in 2019. ¡°That was my entire [international] budget, pretty much, a few years ago. That¡¯s how much we believed in him, even then. He¡¯s another one that came on really strong last year. It¡¯s exciting.¡±

Boone also pointed to how much progress Dom¨ªnguez made from 2021 to 2022 as a positive sign that he¡¯s on the right path. Dom¨ªnguez played at three levels in the Minor Leagues in ¡¯22, slashing .273/.375/.461, while displaying solid defense in center and above-average speed on the basepaths.

His Spring Training performance only helped cement those early first impressions.

¡°Last year, from spring on, he just continued to get better and better all season long,¡± Boone said. ¡°He had a really good year. He carried that into spring and performed really well. Kind of showed all of us that reason to be excited about what his future is."