TAMPA — Austin Wells has been taking at-bats since spring training began, but he hasn’t swung during live batting practice.
Rather, the Yankees catcher has just been standing in the batter’s box tracking pitches as they pass him by. Wells says he’s healthy, but in need of time before showing off his left-handed cut.
“I’m just not ready yet,” Wells said Sunday. “I was hitting higher speed stuff [off a machine] toward the end of this week. Just preparing for the games probably the week after they start.
“Just taking it slow.”
On Monday, Aaron Boone confirmed that Wells won’t play in exhibition games until March 1, “give or take.” Spring contests begin on Feb. 21 when the Yankees host the Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
“It’s just how much [he] played down the stretch and having never been down the stretch,” Boone said, adding that the Yankees had a short offseason after making it to the World Series. “He’s in a great spot, and he’s doing everything he needs to be ready. I’ve told him I want to slow-play it a little bit, so let’s move accordingly.”
Wells played in 115 games and logged 872.1 innings behind the plate as a rookie last year. It was an all-around successful year for the 25-year-old, as he established himself as a trusted receiver and elite framer while also taking hold of the cleanup spot in the Bombers’ order. Wells totaled 13 homers, 55 RBI and a .718 OPS before finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting, an award that batterymate Luis Gil won.
But Wells slumped after his workload increased following a summer injury to Jose Trevino. He hit just .111 in September before batting .120 in the playoffs.
Boone noted that Wells was “a little banged up” at the end of the season, as most catchers are. He also reasoned that some fatigue could have led to Wells slumping down the stretch and in the playoffs.
“I think he was sound, and I probably can’t name a catcher out there that isn’t a little fatigued at that point in the year,” the manager said. “That said, hopefully going through all that will better equip him and better build him up to go the long haul this year.”
Wells, meanwhile, didn’t want to make any excuses for his performance.
“Definitely wasn’t happy with how it ended for me,” he said. “But I don’t know any better to say that it was a fatigue thing or not. So I’m gonna go with no. I’m just gonna go with it was just part of the year, but I’m definitely feeling good and ready to roll.”
Wells also wasn’t sure if a hit-by-pitch to the wrist in early September hindered him.
The Yankees have plenty of other catchers in camp as Wells takes it easy, but they lack experience as they try to determine who their backup catcher will be. Non-roster invitee Alex Jackson is the only option with major league catching experience, unless you count Ben Rice’s one inning of work behind the plate last year.
Rice and J.C. Escarra are both among the other backup candidates, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Yankees added outside depth.
