Aaron Boone isn’t worried about Austin Wells.
Yes, the Yankees catcher is in the midst of a slump.
Yes, this is the most games he has played in a single season.
But the team’s manager believes he will get right before the start of the postseason.
“He’s missed some pitches, which go along with the ebb and flow of a season of being a hitter,” Boone said on Wednesday, before the Yankees fell to the Orioles, 9-7, in The Bronx. “You foul some pitches off that maybe you normally are driving. But nothing overly concerning.”
It has been a difficult September for Wells, who has a slash line of .123/.194/.215 with a .409 OPS after going 0-for-4 on Wednesday.
He has eight hits all month and is 3-for-his-last-38 with 11 strikeouts.
Boone doesn’t believe Wells’ heavy workload is a factor in his struggles.
He has been given days off.
Still, he has appeared in 112 games, the most in his professional career.
“I don’t think so. I feel pretty good,” Wells said, when asked about the aforementioned workload. “It’s just baseball. Just ups and downs. The balls will fall when they need to, hopefully. … I feel good. Feel like I’m seeing the ball pretty well. It’s just a matter of swinging at the right pitches and not trying to do too much.”
It’s been a terrific season overall for the rookie catcher, who was a Rookie of the Year candidate until this recent slide.
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He has given the Yankees a power bat in the middle of the lineup to protect Aaron Judge and has performed better defensively than expected.
Now, the Yankees hope the 25-year-old backstop can bounce back and again be a difference-maker in October.
If they do clinch the division soon, Wells could get even more of a breather, since the next game of importance wouldn’t be until the ALDS opener on Oct. 5.
“We’ll keep him going regularly. Maybe more inclined to get an extra day or something,” Boone said. “But if we’re able to clinch, we’ll get several days [to rest]. I’m not too concerned about it. Physically, I think he’s in a pretty good spot.”
