BALTIMORE — Before both teams lost their cool Friday night at Camden Yards, the Yankees may have lost one of their catchers.
Jose Trevino left the game midway through the ninth inning after injuring his quadriceps while sliding into home plate to score an extra run in the top of the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 4-1 win over the Orioles.
“We’ll reassess and see where we are. [Saturday]”After the game, with the benches emptying in the bottom of the ninth inning, manager Aaron Boone said:
Trevino hit two doubles on the night, the first of which gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead and then scored in the second inning.
In the ninth inning, he hit a double as leadoff hitter and then, just after the sky opened up, scored on Juan Soto’s single, scoring on his home run.
The Yankees have started using Austin Wells more frequently as a timeshare catcher, but if Trevino is forced to sit out, the Yankees could potentially turn to Carlos Narvaez or Augustin Ramirez, both of whom are on the 40-man roster with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Ben Rice is also a primary catcher, but has been playing first base since making his major league debut last month in place of an injured Anthony Rizzo.
With few results and few playing time, J.D. Davis’ tenure with the Yankees is already off to a rough start.
Over the next week, he won’t have a chance at either.
Boone said the Yankees placed Davis on the 10-day disabled list on Friday after he was diagnosed with gastroenteritis in recent days.
“He’s been pretty sick the last couple days,” Boone said Friday. “He wasn’t even anywhere near us, he was down in Tampa. He had a pretty bad case of gastroenteritis. So he was probably going to be OK for a couple more days and then go on the All-Star break.[on Monday].”
The Yankees recalled Jorbit Vivas to fill an available roster spot but backdated Davis’s placement on the disabled list to Tuesday, making him eligible to return next Friday when the second half of the season begins.
“I spoke to him this morning and he’s still not in great condition, but he’s feeling better and we’re hopeful that with the appropriate medication he’ll be on the mend over the next few days,” Boone said.
Davis, a right-handed hitter acquired from the Athletics late last month, has not appeared in a game since July 4, when he was used as a pinch hitter, and has not appeared in a game since July 3, the last time the Yankees faced a left-handed starting pitcher before Friday.
In five games, he had one hit in 13 at-bats, walked two, and played as a first baseman in three games and as a designated hitter in one game.
Davis said when he joined the Yankees, manager Boone told him he could get more playing time depending on how he performed.
However, Rice has seen increased playing time as a first baseman and has now been moved to the cleanup position.
About four weeks after breaking his right arm, Rizzo has been able to do some work in the weight room but is still limited in what he can do.
“I’m feeling great. The bone is healing,” Rizzo told the YES Network on Friday while promoting the foundation’s annual “Swing for the Fence” auction, which raises money for pediatric cancer patients and their families. “I’ve made a lot of progress. I’m still in a little bit of pain, but that comes with any broken bone. I’m definitely on the mend and really looking forward to getting back on the field and enjoying the game.”
Of course, with Rice making an immediate impact at first base in place of an injured veteran, it remains to be seen how the Yankees will handle the situation if Rizzo returns in August.
Rizzo is a key voice in the clubhouse but struggled at the plate prior to his injury.
“He’s amazing,” Rizzo said of Rice. “The way he controls the strike zone is incredible. [telling]”Any young guy who can control the zone like he does is a recipe for success. He’s batting leadoff and Coach Booney has him at number four. He’s not fazed by the bright lights, so that’s a compliment to him and shows what a good kid he is and what a great character he is. He’s fit right in with the team and it’s exciting to watch him play.”
