Saturday was a day match after a night match. It was expected. Monday was different – Monday marked the second time in three games that Austin Wells was on the bench.
Rare for the starting catcher of the team.
“He clearly fed a bit, of course offensive. Part of it is that I want to keep [Rice] There and I think Ben has really done a good job behind the record, “said Aaron Boone manager before the Yankees defeated the twins 6-2 to open a three-game series in the Bronx. “There is that. That also matters [Paul] Goldschmidt is in the line -up. It just tries to get the best group that is day in day out to give us a chance to win a game. “
Could it be a trend? Could Wells see less playing time that are making progress? Boone was not ready to go there. Wells, he kept full, is too important for the success of the Yankees. He is too valuable.
The manager still believes in him, but he thought it was worth giving him a breathing break to get both rice and Goldschmidt in the line -up.
It was understandable, given the lack of production of Wells of recent times. It is in the middle of a drought of 5-out-47. He has only one homer and three extra basehits since 8 July.
His OPS fell to a lean .679 and his stroke average is on an anemic .208.
“There has also been a lot of production there: 15 Homers, [56] RBIs. He has had some big hits for us, he has had some good stretching exercises for us, “said Boone.” But it feels like a rut has been for him in the past month. Working a bit on different things, all to try to get that feeling. Because I feel that he is such a capable and good batter, we have to take him there where he is a key figure for us. Because he really extends our line-up if he is right, with the percussion heets he gives and the power he has at the bottom of the order. “
Wells believes that he is close by, that he just misses his field. He likes how he has approached his batch lately, even if the production is not there.
“I just got out of the barrel on many breaking balls. So I try to put my body in position to touch them and fastballs,” said the 26-year-old catcher. “I think I know I get a lot of off-speed [pitches]Also, and I see it well, it’s just a matter of getting my body in the right position to get a little harder and not to people. I love the process. I can recognize the field and I know I’m going to get it. It is just ensuring that it is in the right place that I want.
“It can be frustrating, especially if you don’t get results. Work for a few weeks, and I know it will continue to happen until I make an adjustment. But making the adjustment but not get the results, it’s frustrating.”
An adjustment well tries to make is to trust his hands more and not be so much for it. So far it has not been translated into results.
“The most important thing for me is to ensure that he gets his confidence and feels good about himself,” said coach James Rowson. “This man can strike, and I believe in him and everyone in this team believes in him. But he wants to perform. He wants to go outside and he wants to get some hits and he wants some things to happen.”
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