When spring training began, the Yankees’ catching plans seemed pretty straight forward. Gary Sánchez was the team’s starter behind the dish. Kyle Higashioka was the backup and, in light of Erik Kratz’s retirement, the Yankees brought in Robinson Chirinos as an injury replacement option. The 36-year-old veteran signed a minor league contract with the team in February.
Now that Chirinos is sidelined indefinitely due to a fractured wrist, those best-laid catching plans are now in flux. Sánchez, in particular, has a lengthy track record of soft-tissue injuries, and that means the Yankees are one pulled groin muscle away from being forced to dig into their catching reserves.