Yankees could see Gold Glove catcher begin rehab assignment next week

MLB: Spring Training-Atlanta Braves at New York Yankees

Mar 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino (39) is congratulated in the dugout after he scored a run during the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees are expecting to have Jose Trevino back sometime soon, as Aaron Boone provided an update regarding his timeline to the media earlier today. Despite not having a game to play the skipper still addressed the media as he usually would before a game, mentioning that catcher Jose Trevino could begin a rehab assignment this upcoming Sunday or Tuesday. Austin Wells has started to mash and looks like the primary catcher on this team, but Trevino still provides value with his strong glove and solid offensive numbers this season.

With this update on Jose Trevino, the Yankees are getting closer and closer to having a healthy roster as they enter the dog days of the summer.

Jose Trevino Could Take Huge Step Towards Return to the Yankees

Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Jose Trevino was having a pretty strong season at the plate, posting a 102 wRC+ with a .411 SLG% and eight home runs in 60 games. His defensive abilities are clearly his calling card though, and he’s one of the more valuable catchers in the game because of it. After struggling mightily in 2023 while dealing with a wrist issue, Jose Trevino has found his power stroke and is showing an ability to find pull-side power when needed.

Still, his value comes from the ability to reliably call games and steal strikes, being one of the best defensive catchers we’ve seen in the last half-decade. Since being traded to the Yankees ahead of the 2022 season, the 31-year-old backstop has the most Defensive Runs Saved in baseball (+37) and the most Fielding Run Value (+34) as well. The Yankees could use some help behind the plate since Austin Wells has been asked to catch a ton in Trevino’s absence.

Having both Jose Trevino and Austin Wells could create some interesting dialogue about potentially having the DH spot used to let Wells play when Trevino is behind the plate. We also know that Gerrit Cole adores throwing to Trevino, as the two have built excellent chemistry in their time as teammates. He did win a Cy Young in 2023 with Ben Rortvedt as his primary catcher down the stretch though, so I’m interested to see how that dynamic changes things moving forward.

It may seem like a minor update, but with the Yankees needing all the roster depth they can find, it’ll help to have Jose Trevino there to make sure they don’t run Austin Wells into the ground.

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