New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino is about to make a significant step in his recovery from a quad injury. He’s set to start a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset this Sunday, marking his first action since he went on the injured list in mid-July due to a left quad strain.
Trevino, who was the Yankees’ starting catcher before his injury, will soon rejoin the team. The Yankees will need to carefully consider how to manage the catching duties once he returns.
Trevino, a former All-Star and Gold Glove winner, hasn’t quite reached his previous level of performance this season. Despite having a career-high .714 OPS, he’s struggled with throwing out base runners, which is crucial for a catcher. His caught-stealing percentage ranks him near the bottom of the league, and while he’s excellent at blocking pitches and framing balls, his overall pop time is among the worst in MLB.
On the other hand, rookie Austin Wells has made a strong case for himself. Wells, who bats left-handed, has been a key offensive player, especially protecting Aaron Judge in the cleanup spot. He boasts a .362 batting average and a .978 OPS when batting fourth. Since July, Wells has hit .308 with five home runs and 20 RBIs, leading all MLB catchers in fWAR and OPS during that period.
Given Wells’ impressive performance and the significant role he’s played, it might be controversial to split the catching duties as they were before Trevino’s injury. It seems more sensible to keep Wells as the primary catcher and have Trevino take on a backup role for the rest of the season.
