Ryan Garcia
Aaron Boone told reporters ahead of the Yankees’ Saturday matchup against the Reds that Austin Wells is expected to be in the starting lineup on Sunday.
The left-handed catcher has been on the IL since June 6th with cervical headaches, an injury that can hamper someone’s vision which is a critical skill for hitters.
After a respectable 2025 campaign where Wells hit 21 home runs and was inside the top five for catchers in Fielding Run Value, his offense has completely cratered in 2026.
The left-handed catcher has just seven RBIs in 47 games, hitting .166 with a .533 OPS as the Yankees have already leaked to the media that they intend to acquire a right-handed catcher this deadline.
For Wells, this injury could be the reason why he’s struggled so mightily, but if he does not make meaningful improvements between now and the All-Star Break, he could find himself riding the pine frequently.
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Austin Wells Looking To Hang Onto Yankees’ Starting Job
Despite a down year in 2025 compared to his Rookie of the Year finalist season in 2024, Austin Wells still finished as one of the 10 most productive catchers in the game by FanGraphs’ WAR.
His OPS was above the league-average for a catcher while having the fifth-best Fielding Run Value (+11) at the catching position, but 2026 has been a very different story.
While he has been a productive defender, sporting +3 Fielding Run Value in 400 innings behind the dish, his offense has fallen off of a cliff with the power disappating in a flash.
The left-handed catcher had some strong at-bats in the World Baseball Classic as he helped the Dominican Republic reach the Semi-Finals, losing in a painful 2-1 loss at the hands of the runner-up Americans.
New York is hoping he can find his bat against right-handed pitching again, Wells has ran an 81 wRC+ against RHP this season which won’t cut it if the team ends up eyeing a catcher such as Ryan Jeffers at the deadline.
If Austin Wells can get hot again after the slow start to his season, he could not only regain some favor in the fanbase, but also hone the Yankees on acquiring a right-handed backup instead of a potential full-time starter.
The noise around trading for a right-handed catcher is loud, but the Yankees could consolidate prospect capital and improve other areas of the roster if Wells is able to return to his 2025 form (90-95 OPS+).
While Tanner Swanson has a strong relationship with Ryan Jeffers due to their overlapping time with the Minnesota Twins, it would still be a tall task for the pitching staff to change battery mates midseason.
New York will be left without another option if Austin Wells continues running a sub-.600 OPS, but he can turn those narratives around with a strong return to the lineup.
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