Getting called up to the Yankees’ roster is one of the biggest dreams for a baseball player. And the moment was made even more special for Spencer Jones by someone closest to him. His girlfriend shared an Instagram story congratulating him on the big achievement. 

“Let’s go baby! The most deserving incredible man. I love you!” Ava O’Connor captioned her post on social media. 

Spencer George Jones made his minor league debut in 2022 after being drafted 25th overall from Vanderbilt University. He spent four seasons and 413 games before he was chosen to be a part of the pinstripes’ active roster on May 8. 

In his first year, Jones split 25 games between the Rookie-level Florida Complex League and Single-A Tampa. He advanced to High-A Hudson Valley in the following year and made his way to Double-A Somerset. He recorded 16 home runs and stole 43 bases that season. 

Jones showed improvement with the Somerset Patriots with 17 homers and 78 RBIs in 2024. There was no stopping him from reaching higher levels as Jones transitioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in June 2025. He hit a career-high 35 home runs, which ultimately included him in the 40-man roster last November. 

According to the New York Post, Jones was the Yankees’ #6 prospect in the pipeline, who led Triple-A with 41 RBI this season before earning a spot in the majors. All his hard work finally paid off, but only when another Yankee suffered a misfortune. 

Jasson Dominguez tried to catch a fly ball on Thursday. But while doing so, he crashed into the left field fence and injured his left shoulder, following which he was placed on the injury list. It created an opening for the 6-foot-7 youngster, who will join the team for the road series in Milwaukee. 

Notably, Jones is the second player wearing the pinstripes with such a huge stature. Captain Aaron Judge is the other one with exactly 6-foot-7 height. 

O’Connor’s Insta story has caught a lot of buzz for the right reasons. There is no bigger achievement than making your loved ones proud. But while Jones’ call-up was a high point for him, the Yankees are going through some serious injury concerns. 

Injuries continue to reshape the Yankees’ outfield plans

The moment Jasson Dominguez was carted away mid-game, fans knew he suffered a serious injury. The MRI revealed a sprain in his AC joint in his left shoulder. For now, Dominguez is on a 10-day IL, but the low-grade sprain will probably require 2-4 weeks of recovery time. 

The bigger concern here is that Dominguez was brought in to replace Giancarlo Stanton earlier. Stanton suffered a right calf strain on April 24 and is yet to be back from his recovery. And the Yankees didn’t want to risk making his injury worse, that’s why they called up Jones. 

Despite being at the top of AL, they are not in a position to be patient with every single injured player. Yet, manager Aaron Boone stands firm on his “if it’s not ready, it’s not ready, so we’ll wait” theory. 

And it’s not just the position players. RHP Gerrit Cole had his first rehab start after a Tommy John, where he pitched 3.1 innings, allowing 5 runs. Although Boone took some positives from his outing, it is apparent that Cole isn’t returning soon enough. 

Carlos Rodón, on the other hand, seems ready. But the Yankees haven’t announced a return for him yet. Clarke Schmidt had a TJ last year, and there is little possibility of him rejoining the team before the second half of the season. 

The only two confirmed returns are Ben Rice and Ryan Weathers. Rice will be making a comeback from his day-to-day, while Weathers has recovered from his mystery illness after skipping a start on Thursday. Both will take part in the first game against the Brewers on May 8. 

The Yankees need solid production, and that’s exactly what Spencer Jones is here for. While they wait for the returns of their trusted arms, New York will be expecting some decent slugging.