If Yankees trade Gary Sanchez, their backup plan at catcher is healthy and good to go

If Yankees general manager Brian Cashman starts shopping for his new second-string catcher and finds a taker, the backup plan is back in place.

Non-roster veteran Robinson Chirinos has recovered from his broken wrist, so the Yankees have a solid veteran replacement ready to summon in if they opt to move on from Gary Sanchez. After being sidelined for almost six weeks, Chirinos has returned to action this week to play alternate-site exhibitions for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

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It’s unknown if the Yankees will explore trade options for Sanchez, but the two-time All-Star’s chronic offensive struggles and defensive shortcomings led to the organization deciding this week to play Kyle Higashioka more.

Higashioka and Chirinos could be a good receiving tandem for the Yankees, as both bring elite receiving skills and big right-handed power at the plate.

Signed by the Yankees in February just before the start of spring training, Chirinos quickly earned a lot of respect from his new teammates and coaching staff with his work habits, talent and personality.

“He was a great teammate in spring training,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Thursday’s 4-3, 10-inning loss in Baltimore. “I thought he really integrated himself into our room and conversations. The camaraderie that he developed with our catchers and with our pitchers I thought was really good.

“We know he’s a guy with obviously all kinds of experience that’s been a really good catcher in this league for a long time.”

Chirinos, 36, is a career .231 hitter over nine MLB seasons who averaged 17 homers from 2017-19 playing for the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. Last season, he batted just .162 with one homer in 26 games with the Rangers and Mets.

This spring, Chirinos was 1-for-5 with a homer in five games before suffering a fractured right wrist on a hit by pitch on March 10. He had surgery on March 16.

The Yankees would like for Chirinos to get more game reps at the alternate site and in Triple-A games before deeming him ready for a call-up. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre begins its regular season on May 4 in Syracuse.

“We just see as he gets built up here and get some reps,” Boone said. “He’s definitely a guy that obviously gives us really quality depth right now as our third catcher when he’s back in play. But he just needs to play now that he’s over the injury and build up a little bit.”

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