The New York Yankees have one final opportunity to win their series against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon.
Ahead of the game, the organization revealed its decision on catcher Austin Wells.
As announced by Underdog MLB (via X), Wells is back in the lineup for the July 5 clash.
On July 4, Ali Sánchez plugged the gap behind the plate.
Yankees Place Austin Wells Back in Lineup Before Twins Game
GettyNew York Yankees’ Austin Wells is back in the lineup for Sunday’s clash
On Friday, New York sealed a 5-2 victory over the Twins.
Unfortunately, that momentum was short-lived, as Minnesota ripped out an 11-4 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Wells was in the lineup on Friday, but not on Saturday.
The 26-year-old catcher has not been having a seamless season in any regard, but many fans are still holding out hope.
At the time of this writing, Wells is slashing .150/.249/.231 with a disappointing .480 OPS and just four homers through 59 games.
By the time his 2025 campaign wrapped up, his stat sheet looked entirely different.
He had slashed .219/.275/.436 with a .711 OPS and 21 home runs through 126 games.
This is only his fourth year playing Major League Baseball, but the drop in his production has been rather alarming.
As New York approaches its series finale this afternoon, a close eye will be held on Wells at and behind the plate.
Alongside Wells in the lineup will be Trent Grisham (CF), Ben Rice (1B), Jasson Domínguez (DH), Cody Bellinger (LF), Anthony Volpe (SS), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B), Max Schuemann (RF) and José Caballero (3B).
Ryan Weathers will be starting on the mound.
Austin Wells’ Journey in the Major Leagues
GettyAustin Wells of the New York Yankees is back in the lineup on Sunday
Wells was selected 28th overall by the Yankees in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft.
His debut arrived on Sept. 1, 2023, with the franchise.
During his first season, he slashed .229/.257/.486 with a .743 OPS and four home runs through 19 games.
Along the way, he recorded six doubles and 13 RBIs.
His OPS that year remains his career-high.
Wells’ drastic drop in production this year has left the ballclub in need of reinforcement behind the plate.
Two of the top names to float around in trade rumors are Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies and, coincidentally, Ryan Jeffers of the Twins.
Both catchers bring great promise, and ultimately, New York should warmly welcome any help it can get at this point.
Where the Yankees Stand Right Now
GettyAaron Boone and the New York Yankees are struggling to gain consistency
New York continues to be one of the primary teams plagued by the injury bug at this time.
Looking at their latest injury report, they have lost a significant number of valuable players to the ever-growing IL.
Aaron Judge, Carlos Rodón, Max Fried and Giancarlo Stanton are only a select few of the names sitting on the sidelines.
The Yankees just snapped a seven-game losing skid on Friday, but their unsightly 11-4 loss on Saturday pushed them back down.
Earlier this season, New York looked like one of the more dominant ballclubs in the big leagues, but their struggles have persisted in recent weeks.
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