Currently, the New York Yankees find themselves in a turbulent phase. As they aim to acquire key players at the trade deadline to strengthen their roster, they also have to grapple with substantial injuries within the team.
Slugger Aaron Judge is persistently rehabilitating from a torn ligament in his right big toe. In another unfortunate development on Friday afternoon, it was announced that starting catcher José Treviño has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right wrist tear.
Treviño, 30, has been a consistent performer this season, starting in 55 games for the Yankees. His performance includes a .210 batting average, a .257 OBP, four home runs, 15 RBIs, a 13.1% strikeout rate, a 4.8% walk rate, and a 58 wRC+.
Regarded as one of the league’s best defensive catchers, Treviño has the seventh-highest strike rate at 49.9% and has secured six catcher-framing runs, ranking him third in the MLB. Teams have been prioritizing defensive catchers for quite some time, and Treviño perfectly fits the description. His absence is indeed a significant loss for the Yankees.
In the interim, the team will depend on Kyle Higashioka, a 33-year-old with a .232 batting average and a .267 OBP this season. His performance includes five home runs, 24 RBIs, and a 77 wRC+.
As a catcher, Higashioka ranks 27th in strike rate at 47.2% and has secured two catcher-framing runs. In an attempt to counter Treviño’s absence, the Yankees have promoted lefty Ben Rortvedt, a 25-year-old who has primarily played with Triple-A Scranton this year. His stats include a .286 batting average, a .395 OBP, six home runs, 22 RBIs, a 25% strikeout rate, a 12.9% walk rate, and a 126 wRC+. With his lefty swing, Rortvedt may score some home runs in the short right porch of Yankee Stadium, backed by his decent defensive metrics.
With Treviño’s injury, the Yankees may need to reconsider their strategy and scout for catching support at the trade deadline. It is a position they had presumed secure heading into the season.
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