GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Even more important to the Reds now in light of an injury to primary catcher Tyler Stephenson is Jose Trevino -- who was worry-free about his right thumb on Saturday, a day after it was struck by a foul tip.
¡°I could play today," Trevino said.
And that was just before he left the team complex to get a CT scan on the thumb, which came back negative. He is considered day to day.
During the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on Friday, Trevino fouled the ball off his hands and immediately left the game. X-rays were inconclusive for a fracture, prompting Saturday's second test.
Trevino, 32, did not have a wrap on his thumb Saturday morning and he said the swelling had reduced.
"I think he¡¯s going to be fine," manager Terry Francona said Saturday morning. ¡°He¡¯s pretty upbeat. That¡¯s probably the best sign.¡±
In the first moments after he was hurt, however, Trevino and the club were concerned. Just a few hours earlier, they learned that Stephenson would have to open the season on the injured list because of a left oblique strain.
¡°A little nervous," said Trevino, who fractured the same thumb in 2020 during Spring Training. "I just think the whole situation. Stephenson goes down and me going down, that¡¯s tough. Even though we¡¯ve got guys in this clubhouse that we can trust, obviously you want to be there for the guys.¡±
Limited to 74 games last season for the Yankees, Trevino batted .215 with a .642 OPS and eight home runs. He lost his starting spot to rookie Austin Wells.
On Dec. 20, the Reds acquired Trevino in a trade that sent reliever Fernando Cruz to New York. He came to camp set to be the backup to Stephenson.
¡°It¡¯s unfortunate this happened to Stevo," Trevino said. "At the same time, this is why the Reds brought me here. Somebody they can have confidence to go back there and go from there.¡±
Trevino has plenty of experience with regular catching. In 2022, he played a career-high 115 games for the Yankees and earned his first All-Star nod.
After the '22 season, Trevino was also awarded both Gold Glove and Platinum Glove awards for his defense. He's a favorite among pitchers and coaches for his ability to work with staffs.
¡°Whatever they need me to do," Trevino said. "The most important thing about a baseball team are the pitchers, the pitching staff in general. Those are the guys that make everything run. You need to be able to have somebody back there you can rely on.¡±
To back up Trevino until Stephenson returns, Cincinnati is planning on using non-roster catcher Austin Wynns. The 34-year-old Wynns, who hit a two-run single in the second inning vs. the Royals on Saturday, has played in parts of six big league seasons with six clubs. He spent most of 2024 at Triple-A Louisville, but was 7-for-19 (.368) with four doubles in seven big league games for the Reds last year.
There are currently no plans to pick up a catcher from outside of the organization to be the backup.
¡°I don¡¯t think we want to do that," Francona said. "I think we value guys that know our pitchers. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be a terribly long time [without Stephenson], but having somebody try to come in right now ¡ boy, that¡¯s a pretty big ask. You know trying to put down the right fingers and why you¡¯re doing it. Wynns has gone through camp and has been a solid pro and that¡¯s kind of why we brought him here.¡±