Austin Wells Returns to Yankees Lineup
Austin Wells made his return to the plate for the Yankees on Sunday after a stint on the disabled list due to a neck strain. In his first game back, he went 0-for-2 and struck out once. Although his performance wasn’t stellar, both Wells and manager Aaron Boone maintain that working on his batting technique during his time in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will help him rebound.
Boone mentioned that this minor league assignment is viewed as a potential “reset” for Wells, who is adapting to wearing a single-piece face mask—a shift from the traditional two-piece he has typically used throughout his career. This adjustment was made shortly before he was sent down.
During his rehab, Wells talked about how removing “a foul ball or two” from his helmet led to noticeable improvements. He also noted that his headaches have disappeared, which is a relief for him.
The Yankees are in need of hitting support from their catchers, as both Wells and his peers, JC Escala and Ali Sanchez, have mostly struggled at the plate. Following Saturday’s game, Escala was sent back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for Sanchez—a right-handed hitter—especially with a lineup that faces several left-handed pitchers in the upcoming week.
Boone also shared that Sanchez’s wife is expecting, which could put him on the paternity list and potentially allow Escala to return to the team. He added that while Escala had his chances, he praised Sanchez’s defensive skills.
Pitching Rotation Changes
Gerrit Cole, who was originally slated to start on Sunday, has now been pushed to Monday’s game in Detroit. This decision comes as the Yankees face a challenging stretch with no off days for 16 consecutive days. Cole, who has been back after Tommy John surgery, expressed that he feels good and emphasized that the extra day off was simply a team recommendation.
He reassured that this change wouldn’t disrupt his preparations. The Yankees believe this rest strategy will benefit their pitchers, particularly since both Cole and Carlos Rodon have returned from elbow surgery and younger pitchers, like Cam Schrittler and Will Warren, are part of the rotation.
Carlos LaGrange’s Transition and Other Updates
Carlos LaGrange seems to be continuing his transition to a bullpen role. He pitched a scoreless inning at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hitting 100 mph on two occasions. Although the Yankees want him to be able to pitch consecutively before bringing him up, it seems increasingly likely he’ll join the Bronx bullpen soon.
On a different note, center fielder Trent Grisham has been performing agility drills on the field, and Boone expressed that he is “encouraged” by Grisham’s recovery from a right hamstring strain. Boone admitted he was perhaps a bit surprised by Grisham’s progress.
In Grisham’s absence, Jose Caballero took over in center field but didn’t fare well, reacting slowly to a grounder and making errors that allowed an opponent to advance bases.
