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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 01: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees checks on Austin Wells #28 after Wells was hit by the ball in his hand in the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on May 01, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The Yankees, during a team announcement via Twitter (X) this morning, stated that catcher Austin Wells has been “reinstated from the 10-day injured list after undergoing a rehab assignment”, according to the Yankees/status/2068691480542118113″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Yankees Twitter (X) account at 9:44 AM Eastern Time. The Yankees’ lineup was also released, with Wells batting 8th and catching this afternoon in the rubber game against the Cincinnati Reds at Yankee Stadium.

Wells Returns From Neck/Head Related Injury

Wells (age 26) landed on the 10-day IL back on Saturday, June 6th, with what the Yankees described as “cervical headaches”, which is pain that usually starts in your neck and extends up to your head, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The Yankees didn’t know exactly when these issues started, but Wells was reporting a “stiff neck” along with pain. Wells has been great this year for the Yankees defensively, in which he ranks in the 91st percentile for pitch framing and in the 55th percentile (above average) for blocks above average, according to Baseball Savant.

The starting pitching staff loves Wells and often credits him for their success, as the Yankees’ team ERA is 3.34, tied with the Dodgers and Braves for being the lowest in baseball. Despite the defensive successes, there have also been significant woes. In 47 games, Wells is hitting for a lowly .166 batting average with 4 home runs, seven RBI’s, and a measly .278 on base percentage and .533 OPS. It’s been so bad offensively for Wells that the Yankees are searching for catchers externally from the organization ahead of this year’s MLB trade deadline, and a popular name that has appeared in numerous trade rumors is Twins right-handed catcher Ryan Jeffers, who’s had a solid season, hitting for a .949 OPS in 37 games.

Jeffers also hits lefties very well in his career, which is a plus, but he’s still currently working his way back from a hamate bone injury he sustained on May 19th. Wells, on the other hand, in his rehab stint, hit two home runs for Scranton Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, June 18th, against the Columbus Clippers in Columbus, Ohio. This likely makes the Yankees hopeful and somewhat optimistic about a healthier Wells; maybe they can get a lot more out of him offensively than they have so far this season. For the Yankees’ sake, Wells provides them so much value behind the plate, but they’d love to see him start contributing at the plate.

Yankees Will Have To Re-Evaluate Catching Position If Wells Struggles Continue

As the Yankees look to take this series against the Reds at home this Sunday afternoon, Wells will try to change the season’s trajectory. And the next several months will not only be critical for Wells and his Yankees’ future this year and beyond, but also for the Yankees. Still, they will also help the Yankees better evaluate and visualize what they need to do at the MLB trade deadline regarding catchers. The Yankees had optioned backup catcher JC Escarra and relief pitcher Jake Bird as the corresponding moves to calling up Wells and young right-handed pitcher Elmer Rodriguez, who will make the spot start today in the rotation, per Bryan Hoch. 

For the Yankees’ and Wells’ sake, they’d love to see the closer version of what he was in 2023 and 2024, or even last year. Despite the highs and lows, he still managed to hit 21 home runs with an over .700 OPS last season. The Yankees would like to see the ladder to that production again.