The New York Yankees have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with free-agent reliever Lou Trivino, the club announced on Wednesday night. Trivino's contract includes a club option for the 2025 campaign. In a corresponding 40-player roster move, the Yankees placed outfielder Jasson Domínguez on the 60-day injured list.
Trivino, 32, did not pitch last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May. In 25 appearances with the Yankees following a midseason deal in 2022, he compiled a 1.66 ERA (240 ERA+) and a 2.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Trivino for his career has amassed a 3.86 ERA (107 ERA+) and a 2.30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 285 games.
The Yankees non-tendered Trivino last November following his surgery. They had originally obtained Trivino as part of the same August 2022 trade that netted them right-hander Frankie Montas. In exchange, the Yankees parted with pitchers Luis Medina, JP Sears and Ken Waldichuk, as well as infielder Cooper Bowman.
Pitchers tend to require at least 12 months to return from Tommy John surgery. In recent years, teams have taken to giving their pitchers closer to 14 months. As such, it's reasonable to think Trivino will not debut until sometime in July at the earliest.
Domínguez is in the midst of his own recovery from Tommy John surgery. He underwent the operation last September, ending what had been an outstanding introduction to the majors. Domínguez, now 21, had hit .258/.303/.677 (158 OPS+) with four home runs, seven runs batted in and a stolen base in eight games.
Position players tend to have shorter recovery periods from Tommy John surgery. Still, Domínguez is expected to miss at least the beginning of the season. The Yankees haven't provided an official timetable for his return, but manager Aaron Boone recently said during an appearance on the Michael Kay Show that "he'll be back in the summer for us. I'm confident in that."
