The New York Yankees' top-catching prospect, Austin Wells, showed up to spring training and felt discomfort in his ribs. He and the team brushed it off as bruised ribs, but it's something more than that.
He had an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed that he had fractured his 12th rib. This injury usually sidelines players for six to eight weeks. It's safe to say that his spring training is done.
Wells is ranked as the Yankees' fourth-best prospect and was expected to start the season in Double-A. Now, it's likely he'll play in some rehab games in Low-A with the Tampa Tarpons before returning to Double-A.
It's a tough break for Wells as he would have gotten a lot of playing time behind the dish in spring training. Kyle Higashioka is participating in the World Baseball Classic, and Wells was expected to fill that hole.
"Of course one of the best offensive prospects who is a lefty gets hurt, this organization is cursed," one fan tweeted.
"Oof didn't see that coming, hope for a speedy recovery," another fan tweeted.
New York Yankees fans aren't happy to hear the news. Fans were excited to see how the young slugger would fare against Major League talent.
Fans will have to shift their attention to other prospects like Anthony Volpe and Jasson Dominguez. Both are off to fantastic starts in spring training.
This will be a big year for the New York Yankees
You could say every year for the New York Yankees is going to be a big year. They are one of the few teams in baseball that are expected to compete for a World Series title every season.
They look like serious contenders this season with the offseason they had. They needed to re-sign Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo, and they did. On top of that, they signed Carlos Rodon, who will be the ace behind Gerrit Cole.
They'll get a full season from outfielder Harrison Bader, who the team acquired at last year's trade deadline. He was nearly the only Yankee to show up in the postseason. He'll look to keep up that momentum and be a ball-hawk in the outfield.
The Yankees have the roster to make a deep run in the postseason this year. The question is, will they be able to get past the Houston Astros?