NEW YORK -- It was a few minutes after the Yankees shook hands for the 94th and final time during this regular season, celebrating a 6-4 victory over the Pirates that was powered in part by Alex Verdugo's two-run single through the right side of the infield.

Standing at the center of a half-circle of outstretched microphones and humming television cameras, the veteran outfielder was asked how he viewed his role for the upcoming postseason. A brief pause followed.

¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Verdugo replied.

While most areas of the Yankees¡¯ roster appear set in stone ahead of the American League Division Series, the team¡¯s plans in left field remain murky.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he continues to ponder his lineup for Saturday¡¯s ALDS Game 1, weighing Verdugo¡¯s reliable defense against top prospect Jasson Domínguez¡¯s offensive potential.

¡°We¡¯ll let the week unfold,¡± Boone said. ¡°I have thoughts in my mind, but we¡¯ll let that unfold.¡±

The Yankees followed through on their statement that Dom¨ªnguez would play regularly once promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, starting the 21-year-old in 15 of their 19 games from Sept. 9 on.

There were glimpses of the power and speed that have made ¡°The Martian¡± a darling of the farm system, including a couple of homers during a road trip to Seattle and Oakland, but also sobering reminders that Dom¨ªnguez is not a finished product.

During that West Coast swing, Dom¨ªnguez failed to track a Justin Turner fly ball that fell behind him on Sept. 18, then couldn¡¯t find a bases-loaded Turner drive in the sun the next day, clanging off his glove as a run scored.

On Sept. 26 in New York, Dom¨ªnguez misplayed a Colton Cowser fly ball into a two-run single early in a loss to the Orioles.

¡°Obviously, there are things I need to work on,¡± Dom¨ªnguez said. ¡°But I feel like with more work, I can get there. ¡­ I¡¯ve been working almost every day in left field, getting my fungoes, shagging, everything. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that far [off].¡±

Last season, Dom¨ªnguez¡¯s eight-game cameo provided a reason to watch as the Yankees fought to avoid the franchise¡¯s first losing season since 1992, including a homer off the Astros¡¯ Justin Verlander on his first swing in a Major League ballpark.

Highlight-reel moments were harder to come by in this second go-round. In 18 games this year, Dom¨ªnguez hit just .179/.313/.304 (77 OPS+), with a double, two homers, four RBIs and five stolen bases.

¡°He obviously had some hiccups in the outfield and didn¡¯t light up the stat line from an offensive standpoint,¡± Boone said. ¡°But I felt like he was having quality at-bats still. I certainly know what he¡¯s capable of on both sides of the ball and the speed component he brings to the table.¡±

Boone has pointed out the interrupted nature of Dom¨ªnguez¡¯s season; after returning from Tommy John surgery in May, Dom¨ªnguez sustained an oblique strain while batting for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre that kept him out of action until late July.

When Dom¨ªnguez returned, he mainly played his natural position of center field; he saw just 11 Minor League games in left field, compared with 28 in center field and one in right field. Dom¨ªnguez played 13 big league games in left field (12 starts), compared with four games in center field (three starts) and one as a designated hitter this season.

¡°I haven¡¯t played a ton of games in left field, but I feel I can do it,¡± Dom¨ªnguez said.

Said Boone: ¡°I feel like he¡¯s ready to go, and whatever way we go, he¡¯s going to play a big part.¡±

The dimensions of Yankee Stadium¡¯s left field add to the difficulty factor, as its large expanse is less forgiving than the right-field short porch that Juan Soto patrols. For example, that¡¯s why Brett Gardner -- a prototypical defensive center fielder -- spent most of his career in left field.

It is also why the Yankees valued Verdugo¡¯s above-average defense so highly following a 2023 season in which converted infielders Oswaldo Cabrera (325 innings) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (248 innings) led the team¡¯s left fielders in innings played.

Verdugo concluded the regular season with a +3 Fielding Run Value in left field, fifth among Major Leaguers to play at least 750 innings at the position, a category led by the Orioles¡¯ Colton Cowser (+10). Dom¨ªnguez generated a -2 Fielding Run Value at the position in his small sample size this year.

The converse point is that Verdugo¡¯s power dipped sharply in the second half, as he collected just 12 extra-base hits (nine doubles and three homers), compared to 30 before the All-Star break. Overall, Verdugo batted .233/.291/.356 (83 OPS+) with 13 homers and 61 RBIs in 149 games this season.

Yet Verdugo has some postseason experience under his belt, a factor Boone may weigh under October¡¯s brighter lights. Verdugo logged 11 playoff games with the Red Sox in 2021, including a three-RBI performance in Boston¡¯s AL Wild Card Game win over the Yankees.

¡°In the playoffs, every pitch, every inning, every at-bat matters,¡± Verdugo said. ¡°It¡¯s no longer about what you did in the season; it¡¯s really not. It¡¯s about what you can go out there and do, and how clutch you can be.¡±