Yankees catcher Jose Trevino to make his exhibition debut on Sunday
Yankees catcher Jose Trevino watches a spring training workout Feb. 21 in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Charlie Neibergall
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Catcher Jose Trevino’s “long, long road” back from a pair of injuries has him making his spring training debut on Sunday as the Yankees host Atlanta.
The 2022 American League All-Star saw his 2023 season end in July because of a torn ligament in his right wrist. He has been slowed during spring training because of a calf injury.
“Confident, excited,” Trevino said on Saturday after going 3-for-5 with a home run in a camp game at the Yankees' minor-league complex in Tampa. “A lot of emotions. A lot of people to thank just kind of along the way. But yeah, I'm excited. I'm ready.”
In the time since Trevino got hurt, Austin Wells has emerged as a big-league catcher. Wells hit his second home run of spring training on Saturday, a long two-run shot to right, in the Yankees’ 10-7 loss to the Twins at Hammond Stadium.
Wells, who has drawn nothing but praise from manager Aaron Boone and the pitching staff, has all but made the Opening Day roster. Sure, the Yankees will have to figure out what to do with light-hitting Ben Rortvedt, who is out of options, but Trevino and Wells look to be heading into the season as the team’s catching tandem.
“He's a terrific baseball player,” Trevino said of Wells. “He's a great young man. He's an even better person than he is a baseball player, and he cares about the pitchers. He cares about his teammates. He loves the game of baseball. And I think he's going to do great things.”
Trevino hopes to do great things, too. It all starts for him on Sunday.
“I'm looking forward to tomorrow,” he said. “I don't know where my emotions are going to be. My first live at-bats, I was a little nervous, but I think it's just getting back in there and getting used to things again.”
Windy day in Fort Myers
Nestor Cortes was charged with six runs and allowed nine hits in 3 1/3 innings, but a three-run triple by Byron Buxton in the second inning was misplayed by Greg Allen in centerfield on what Boone called “one of those Florida wind/sun days.”
Cortes, who is coming back from a rotator cuff injury, was pleased to get up to 62 pitches in his third outing of spring training.
“I’m happy where I’m at right now as far as body-wise,” he said. “Probably a few pitches there that I could have commanded better.”
Cortes’ pitching drew better reviews than the custom-made denim cleats he wore on the mound. They were made for him by a friend in Miami. The cleats included Velcro pockets (a la a pair of jeans), but Cortes said he had to cut them off because they were “flapping open” on the mound.
“I don’t think a lot of people liked it,” Cortes said. “Those are being retired today.”
Boone, who turned 51 on Saturday, said: “They look good . . . from far away. We maybe have to put those in the back of the rotation.”
With David Lennon in Tampa, Florida
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
