Jose Trevino deserves praise for hustling into Yankees-Orioles melee on injured quad

A lesser man than Jose Trevino would've already checked out of the Yankees' season. A Sunday Night showcase against the runnin' Red Sox in June exposed his flaws. He's been under the microscope for his lack of offense and regressing throwing arm. On a Yankees roster with many struggling flashpoints, he's been under the microscope. But he's never stopped hustling.

On Friday night against Baltimore, Trevino shook off another indignity (striking out after Ball 5 in a key spot against the Rays) and smashed a pair of doubles, scoring twice. He also navigated Gerrit Cole through a shaky first two frames, ultimately allowing the ace to find his rhythm in his best start of the 2024 season.

Unfortunately, before the night was through, Trevino came up lame. He hobbled to the plate on Juan Soto's run-scoring single in the ninth, then was replaced by the bottom of the inning and Clay Holmes' entrance in a 4-1 game.

That meant it was Austin Wells who took the brunt of Orioles manager Brandon Hyde's contact when he snapped at Clay Holmes, then took exception to the Yankees' dugout "chirping" in response to that slight. But Trevino, quad injury and all, still hobbled into the fray to back up his teammates.

Yankees' Jose Trevino hits IL, replaced by Carlos Narvaez, but quad injury didn't stop him from sticking up for teammates

12 hours later, he officially hit the injured list; Carlos Narvaez will be the Yankees' backup catcher while Trevino recovers from a quad strain. Wells, who's heated up over the past month-plus, will receive the lion's share of the Yankees' available reps.

Trevino might be a backup catcher who caught lightning in a bottle in 2022, but it's hard to ask for a better backup, as long as his arm strength continues to bounce back over time. In terms of knowing his role and fighting 'til the last out, though? There's almost no Yankee better. Narvaez can hold down the fort until he returns, but Trevino's presence in the dugout will continue to be invaluable.