Austin Wells is still in Scranton, but his swing might be ready for the big leagues again. The Yankees catcher, who has been sidelined with a weird injury, mashed two home runs in a rehab appearance for the RailRiders on Tuesday. Talkin’ Yanks posted the update on X and fans jumped on it fast.
Wells has been out since early June with an issue that landed him on the IL. It was a strange one, but the kind of thing that happens in baseball. The important part is that he’s swinging the bat well enough to crush two homers in the same game. That’s something the Yankees have been missing.
The 24-year-old backstop had a breakout of sorts in 2025, hitting 21 homers and driving in 71 runs. The average was ugly at .219, but the power was real. This season has been a different story. Through 47 games, Wells is hitting just .166 with four homers and seven RBIs. The bat has gone quiet at a time when New York’s lineup is as dangerous as any in the league.
There are some signs that suggest he can turn it around. His walk rate has jumped significantly on a per-plate-appearance basis. He already has 23 walks in 169 plate appearances after managing only 30 in 448 last year. That’s not nothing. It shows he’s still seeing the ball well even when he’s not squaring it up.
Defense has been the anchor
The Yankees have missed Wells behind the plate more than maybe people realize. He’s been solid as a pitch caller and the staff generally trusts him. His absence has forced the team to lean on other options, and the catching group has been a bit of a patchwork situation since he went down.
But the real question is whether Wells can hit enough to keep the job. Because the Yankees are reportedly poking around the trade market for a catcher. Rumors have linked them to Adley Rutschman of the Orioles and Hunter Goodman of the Rockies. Both would be big swings. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden pointed out that prying Goodman away from Colorado would be especially hard given that he’s basically their best player right now.
Bowden also listed some more realistic possibilities. Names like Ryan Jeffers of the Twins, Agustin Ramirez of the Marlins, Joey Bart of the Pirates, Carson Kelly of the Cubs, Gabriel Moreno of the Diamondbacks, and Keibert Ruiz of the Nationals are all apparently on the radar.
None of those guys are sure things either. But the point is clear: the Yankees want to upgrade behind the dish if they can.
Wells might have something to say about that. If he comes back and hits anything close to what he did in 2025, the urgency to make a trade fades. If he doesn’t, the front office has plenty of options. Either way, two homers in a rehab game is a good place to start.
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