Yankees Place Struggling Catcher on Injured List

It has been a miserable season for the 26-year-old Wells, whose offense has regressed to the point of being among the worst in MLB. In 47 games, Wells is hitting a meager .166/.278/.255 with four home runs, seven RBI, and a 54 wRC+ over 169 plate appearances. He currently holds an fWAR of 0.2, and the only reason why that is not a negative value is because of strong defense, particularly in framing pitches.

Neither Wells nor Escarra are producing at the plate, which has made the Yankees' catching situation dire. The two have combined for a 49 wRC+, which is the second-worst among all MLB teams this year; only the Philadelphia Phillies have seen less production from their catchers so far. Because of this, the Yankees have been frequently linked to catching help in trade deadline rumors, and the call-up of Sanchez is seen as a temporary solution.

As for what Wells is dealing with, cervical headaches originate from the neck. Given how much of a beating catchers usually take behind the dish, he may be feeling the effects of all that punishment through these headaches.

Wells should undergo numerous tests in the neck/spine area over the coming days, but he may miss extended time due to the nature of the injury. With Aaron Judge already out with a stress fracture in his rib, the Yankees can ill-afford another injury to one of their everyday players.

A possible solution is moving Ben Rice behind the plate due to being a catcher by trade. Yankees manager Aaron Boone is currently not considering this move, as the team can't afford his current production to be compromised. But if Wells is out long-term, the Bronx Bombers may have no choice.