Yankees’ starting catcher set to return from injury

The New York Yankees have one of the deepest catcher position groups in baseball, as showcased in their 4–3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon.

The team’s offense was generated by the catcher position, with Luis Torrens scoring on an error in the 5th inning and Carlos Narvaez smacking a homer to right field in the 8th. For the time being, Austin Wells is projected to be the number two behind starting catcher Jose Treviño, who has yet to make his spring training debut this season.

Jose Treviño’s Anticipated Return

Fortunately, Brian Hoch of MLB.com reported that Trevino will make his debut on on Sunday, returning from a calf injury that set him back several weeks ago.

Trevino has been participating in live batting practice and bullpen sessions, working his way back, and the Yankees will get one of the best defensive catchers in the game several weeks before Opening Day in late March. Last season, Trevino played only 55 games due to a right wrist tear that ended his season prematurely.

Trevino’s Role and Expectations With the Yankees

Over that sample size, he hit .210/.257/.312, including four home runs and 15 RBIs. The injury likely derailed his metrics and sent his averages lower than usual, so the team is expecting a bounce back in 2024.

Despite Trevino’s offensive woes, he still managed six catcher-framing runs and a 49.9% strike rate last season. However, he put together elite numbers in 2022, with over 2,717 pitches caught. He recorded 17 catcher-framing runs and a 53.8% strikeout rate, ranking first in both categories among all catchers in the MLB.

Trevino remains Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher but is making progress with several arms in both the rotation and bullpen. The 24-year-old rookie has the qualities to become a starter long-term, but Trevino will maintain that role for now with two more years of team control and earning only $2.73 million for the upcoming season.