Yankees’ Wells Suffers Food Poisoning Before Game Against Rays

TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells was sidelined from Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays after waking up with food poisoning. The incident followed a successful victory, where the Yankees had expanded their season-long winning streak to four games with a 6-3 win over the Rays the previous day.

Wells expressed his surprise at his sudden illness, stating, “I went to bed feeling great. This morning, not so great.” The catcher had reported feeling fine until the onset of symptoms the next day, which mirrored the recent ailments faced by other players in the organization, including outfielder Cody Bellinger, who had attributed a similar 24-hour sickness to bad wings.

“I don’t really know what caused it,” Wells said, humorously suggesting that “somebody poisoned me in my sleep!” The Yankees’ manager, Aaron Boone, noted a streak of illnesses among players, saying, “I feel like we’ve had a handful of guys from spring to now have these 24-hour bugs. They pass it on, so I don’t know what’s going on.”

With Wells unavailable, rookie J.C. Escarra stepped in as the starting catcher for the second consecutive game. Escarra, who has seen limited playtime this season with a batting average of .188 and one RBI across five games, is considered a reliable substitute by Boone. “I have a ton of confidence with J.C. any day that he’s in there,” Boone remarked.

Boone remained optimistic about Wells’ recovery, indicating that the catcher might be available off the bench during Friday’s match if necessary. “I’m hopeful he’ll feel better by tomorrow and be ready to start Saturday’s game,” Boone added.

In addition to the issue with Wells, the Yankees celebrated the noteworthy performance of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who registered his tenth multi-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4 with three singles and a run scored. Goldschmidt currently boasts an impressive .373 batting average, including 22 singles and an .895 OPS, which garnered praise from Boone for his situational awareness at the plate.

As the game progressed, Ben Rice nearly hit his sixth home run of the season, but Rays outfielder Jose Caballero executed a remarkable catch to rob him of the hit. Meanwhile, pitcher Marcus Stroman, recovering from knee inflammation, has resumed light throwing following a cortisone shot, though his return to a full bullpen session remains uncertain.

The Yankees continue to navigate player illnesses and injuries as they prepare for upcoming games and aim to maintain their winning momentum.