Austin Wells is expected to be back with the Yankees on Sunday after being sidelined for the past two weeks with cervical headaches.
Aaron Boone said Saturday that Wells would “likely” be in the lineup in The Bronx for their series finale against the Reds after appearing in three minor league rehab games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
After the Yankees lost 10-2 to Cincinnati on Saturday with Ali Sánchez behind the plate, the Yankees optioned J.C. Escarra to SWB — leaving the righty-swinging Sánchez on the roster for now.
Just getting Wells back, though, doesn’t necessarily solve the Yankees’ season-long issues behind the plate.
Even when healthy, Wells has slumped badly offensively.
Of the 241 players with at least 160 plate appearances entering Saturday, only three had a lower OPS than Wells’ .533.
He has been working on his approach while with SWB and the Yankees are hoping for improved results.
But Wells’ former teammate, Jose Trevino, said even when he’s not hitting, Wells is vital to the Yankees’ success.
“I had a conversation with him in ’24 toward the beginning of the season about the value of him and his presence,” said Trevino, now with the Reds.
“He’s gonna be there,” Trevino said. “He’s gonna bounce back. I have no doubt. He’s gonna hit a homer, make a defensive play or call a good game.”
That presence, Trevino said, has played a significant role in how well the Yankees have pitched as a whole.
“Look at what their starters are doing, the staff,” Trevino said. “At the beginning of the year, all those zeroes on the board, who calls those pitches? They have a great staff, but he’s the guy coordinating all that. I think some people overlook that. He’s a very important part of that team and they need him.”
With Wells out, Escarra has also struggled at the plate and the journeyman Sánchez picked up his fifth hit in three games Saturday, but isn’t the answer back there, either.
But the duo helped the Yankees continue to perform well overall, especially on the mound.
Prior to Wells being sidelined, the Yankees had a 3.30 ERA, fourth in the majors.
Since Wells has been out, it was 3.27, good for second in the majors.
Still, the Yankees are high on Wells’ ability to frame pitches — even in the ABS era — and some metrics have Wells among the best in the league.
“That stuff is so valuable,’’ Trevino said.
Asked whether all he’s asked to do on defense might take away from his offense, Trevino said, “That’s the nature of the beast. You’re in charge of the [pitching] staff.”
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The Yankees know Wells is capable of more power with his lefty swing.
In the three games with SWB, Wells went hitless twice, but also hit a pair of homers.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
