New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino is set to take a major step in his recovery from a quad injury, and a decision with his playing time will be under the microscope upon his return.
The 31-year-old catcher has been on the injured list since the middle of July when he suffered a left quad strain against the Baltimore Orioles. At that time, he was the starting catcher for the Yankees.
For the first time since suffering the injury, Trevino is set to commence a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Sunday.
It will be interesting to see how the Yankees go about the split behind the plate when Trevino is ready to return from the injured list.
The former All-Star and Gold Glove winner hasn't played at that level during the 2024 season. On both sides of the ball, Trevino has struggled with consistency.
Though his .714 OPS is currently the highest mark of his career, Trevino has struggled to throw out runners on the basepaths, which is a major liability when he's behind the plate.
His -3 mark in caught stealing above average ranks 53rd out of 62 qualified catchers. He's an elite blocker and pitch framer, but his 2.07 pop time is third-worst among MLB catchers, according to Statcast.
The other factor — and the biggest reason — to avoid a platoon behind the plate is the emergence of rookie Austin Wells.
The lefty-swinging catcher has been a major force in the middle of the lineup with a 113 OPS+ this season. He's provided ample protection for Aaron Judge from the cleanup spot with a .362 batting average and .978 OPS when hitting in that spot.
Since the start of July, Wells has a .308 batting average, five home runs, 20 RBI and a .931 OPS. His 1.7 fWAR and .931 OPS are the best marks among all MLB catchers during that span.
To give Trevino the full split with Wells from before the injury would be a controversial decision considering how well the rookie has played since being given the starting role.
If anything, Trevino should be moved down the depth chart as the backup catcher while giving Wells the starting reigns for the remainder of the season.
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