Around the Empire: Yankees news - 2/22/21

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: In a reasonable call for restraint, the Yankees’ senior director of player development, Kevin Reese said that people should really stop throwing ridiculous comparisons on uber-prospect Jasson Dominguez. “It’s hard to help him manage those expectations because he’s not going to show up tomorrow and perform like Mike Trout or Aaron Judge or Brett Gardner,” said Reese.

The man is absolutely correct. Dominguez has yet to play a professional game stateside and only just turned 18. Folks can be excited about his potential, but they need to dial it back a bit. Otherwise, they’re simply setting fans up for disappointment.

New York Daily News | Kristie Ackert: Yesterday, Domingo Germán was supposed to speak to the media for the first time since he was suspended for domestic violence in September 2019. Germán and the Yankees decided to push this appearance back shortly after a new report from Lindsey Adler at The Athletic revealed new details of the incident, namely that the abuse continued at the Germán residence after the team event, and that his girlfriend had to hide and call a teammate’s wife for help. In short, it’s reprehensible and awful. Germán will now instead address his teammates before he talks to the media.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff & Oli Coleman: A familiar face is no longer around Yankees spring training, though not through any ill will. Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson informed The Post that he does not work for the team as a special adviser anymore. Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reported that this development has been in the making for months, per Reggie’s request. The 74-year-old will likely attend Old-Timers Day activities and serve on the Yankees’ new Diversity and Inclusion Committee, but he may pursue opportunities with other teams closer to home.

New York Daily News | Kristie Ackert: Corey Kluber pitched live batting practice for the first time in Yankees camp yesterday and manager Aaron Boone thought he looked sharp throwing to Gary Sánchez.

Although Kluber had already thrown in other settings before spring training, it’s a notable step in the road to his recovery from the torn shoulder muscle that derailed his 2020 in Texas. Also in the article is an interesting note about Michael King discussing his efforts to improve by working with Aaron Judge and Mike Ford in the weeks before camp opened to get a better idea of how hitters perceive his pitches.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Jameson Taillon is all-too-familiar with the hard work that front-line health care workers have been putting in throughout the pandemic. His older brother, Jordan, is a pulmonologist in Florida and has been quite busy throughout the past 12 months. On the lighter side, Jordan is also a big Yankees fan with tons of memorabilia in his office, and he was delighted when he found out that Jameson would be donning pinstripes. Jordan’s medical background has been a source of comfort for his brother throughout his career, as he offered advice and assisted communication with team doctors during Jameson’s battle with cancer and later, his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

MLB Trade Rumors | TC Zencka: Lastly, a small note to close the news out on: reliever Ben Heller, who the Yankees released earlier in the month as part of the roster move to add Darren O’Day, has found a new gig. He signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks, where he stands a better chance at making the big league bullpen out of spring training.