Matt

Dominguez

Dominguez was hit just under the left eye, but managed to avoid serious injury. The 22-year-old third baseman should be back to normal within a week or so.

The liner came off Danny Worth’s bat. Dominguez may need to sit out a few days while the swelling calms, but he shouldn’t be sidetracked too much if it’s only a bruise.

Dominguez suffered the injury during infield drills Friday, but the good news is that X-rays came back negative and he should return to game action within the next few days. The 22-year-old is still considered the Marlins’ third baseman of the future, but remains a work in progress at the plate.

Scott Moore will start at third base. Dominguez should be ready to return to action after a couple days of rest.

Houston acquired Dominguez from the Marlins in last month’s Carlos Lee trade. The 23-year-old is excellent defensively but doesn’t hit enough to carry fantasy value.

Dominguez came over from the Marlins in the Carlos Lee deal, and was recalled from Triple-A prior to Thursday’s contest. He doesn’t offer much in terms of power or speed, making him a tough start in most fantasy formats, especially at third base. Still just 23 years old, there could be offensive upside here in the future, but he’s unlikely to contribute much more this season.

Current Astros’ starting third baseman Chris Johnson is having a pretty decent year, so the newly-acquired Dominguez will get more at-bats in the minors. The 22-year-old is a terrific defender at the hot corner, but his bat has yet to come around, as evidenced by his career .252/.321/.410 batting line on the farm.

It’s unknown exactly how the playing time will be split up after the Carlos Lee trade, but in the first game it was Dominguez getting the call at the hot corner and Chris Johnson moving across the diamond to first base. Even if he does garner consistent playing time, Dominguez shouldn’t merit consideration in most mixed leagues, as he’s unlikely to generate much offensive production.

Dominguez is an elite defensive third baseman and showed flashes of offensive potential earlier in his minor league career. At the ripe age of 22, he still has time for growth. It’s a nice snag for the Houston front office.

Current Astros’ starting third baseman Chris Johnson is having a pretty decent year, so we suspect Dominguez will be a backup initially, but he’ll certainly have a chance to earn ample playing time. The 22-year-old is a terrific defender at the hot corner, but his bat has yet to come around, as evidenced by his career .252/.321/.410 batting line in the minors.