Yankees put Austin Wells on IL with cervical headaches - ESPN

NEW YORK — For the second time in less than 24 hours, the Yankees made an unexpected move with their catching group Saturday night when Austin Wells was placed on the injured list with cervical headaches before the team took the field against the Boston Red Sox.

J.C. Escarra was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace Wells on the roster. The Yankees had optioned Escarra late Friday, choosing to swap him out for Ali Sánchez.

Wells reported neck stiffness leading to a headache to the club late Friday after the Yankees optioned Escarra and underwent exams. The concern was enough for manager Aaron Boone to call Escarra to stay in New York on Saturday in case he was needed. Wells then went through a series of exams, including a concussion test, with a neurologist Saturday and checked out negative. Boone said Wells will undergo further testing for his neck Sunday.

«This complaint is new,» Boone said. «So, whether it's a cumulative thing or something that happened last night, it's tough to say.»

Boone did not indicate Wells was dealing with the issue speaking to reporters Saturday afternoon before the club's scheduled game against the Red Sox. He said he planned to give Wells, a left-handed batter, days off against left-handed pitchers «in the short-term» with Sánchez, a right-handed hitter, in the fold.

A few hours later, Wells was on the injured list, joining Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Jasson Dominguez. Boone said Wells' stint will «hopefully» be short, but the team will have a better idea after Sunday's testing.

«It's tough to play the game with one catcher,» Boone said. «That's a tough place to be. And just with the neck and head, it's not something you want to mess around with. So we feel like we