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New York Yankees Bench Star Rookie Catcher Austin Wells For ALCS Game 3

Austin Wells asserted himself as one of the top contenders to win AL Rookie of the Year this season, but his playoff struggles have led the New York Yankees to turn to Jose Trevino behind the plate.
Sam Connon|
Oct 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) walks back to the dugout in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium.
Oct 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) walks back to the dugout in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

Catcher Austin Wells is not part of the New York Yankees' starting lineup for Game 3 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, the team has announced.

Instead, Jose Trevino will draw the start at catcher for the first time this postseason.

Wells logged complete games as the Yankees' catcher all throughout the ALDS, as well as the first two games of the ALCS earlier this week. He is batting just 2-for-24 with two RBI, two walks and 10 strikeouts in the playoffs, though, continuing the slump that plagued him at the end of the regular season.

As of Aug. 31, Wells was batting .259 with a .795 OPS, asserting himself as a leading contender to win AL Rookie of the Year. He proceeded to hit .111 with a .411 OPS in September, however, and those struggles have apparently followed him into October.

Wells finished the regular season batting .229 with 13 home runs, 55 RBI, a .718 OPS and a 2.5 WAR.

Trevino, meanwhile, hit .215 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, a .642 OPS and a 0.6 WAR in 2024. While those numbers aren't particularly impressive, Trevino is just two years removed from making an All-Star Game and winning a Gold Glove as the Yankees' starting catcher in 2022.

New York also made the playoffs that season, but Trevino wound up going 1-for-22 with one RBI and six strikeouts across the ALDS and ALCS.

Here is the Yankees' full lineup for Game 3, featuring Trevino instead of Wells:

1. Gleyber Torres, 2B
2. Juan Soto, RF
3. Aaron Judge, CF
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 3B
6. Jon Berti, 1B
7. Anthony Volpe, SS
8. Alex Verdugo, LF
9. Jose Trevino, C
SP: Clarke Schmidt, RHP

First pitch from Progressive Field is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. ET.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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