Jasson Dominguez's rehab gets off to perfect start with hit off former hated Yankee

Before being gifted with a satisfying 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night, New York Yankees fans received good news that Jasson Dominguez was commencing his rehab assignment in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Dominguez began his journey with Single-A Tampa and will serve as a designated hitter for a few weeks until he's cleared to play both sides of the ball.

Dominguez batted second against the Pirates' Single-A squad, the Bradenton Marauders, and coincidentally ran into former hated Yankee Domingo Germán, who is making his way back from his off-the-field struggles.

Germán was dismissed from the Yankees after an alcohol-infused incident in the clubhouse late last season, which finally put an end to the right-hander overstaying his welcome for about four years.

Yankees fans will be happy to know that Dominguez got the best of Germán in the slugger's first at-bat of his rehab assignment after ripping a single into right field.

Jasson Dominguez's rehab gets off to perfect start with hit off former hated Yankee

Dominguez had nothing but good things to report after the game in terms of how he was feeling, which further encouraged Yankees fans, given the smooth recovery timetable for the organization's top prospect.

He went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in the Tarpons' 4-3 loss. Germán lasted four innings and allowed one run on three hits and three walks, surrendering a homer to outfielder Jackson Castillo. The situation surrounding Germán has been rather quiet, as this was his first professional outing since getting booted from the Bronx last September.

In other Yankees injury news, Tommy Kahnle got the bump to Double-A and delivered a scoreless outing on 10 pitches while Jorbit Vivas joined Dominguez in Tampa in his return from an orbital fracture (he went 0-for-1 with two walks). Oswald Peraza also got the bump to Double-A last week, with manager Aaron Boone saying he'll need a full spring training's worth of games before possibly returning to the big-league roster. DJ LeMahieu is nearing a rehab assignment, too.

The Yankees are doing well. The news on the injury front is somewhat encouraging. So, yeah, we don't need any manufactured drama to upset the apple cart.