Yankees' J.C. Escarra: Filling in for resting Wells
Rotowire
Escarra (personal) will start at catcher and bat eighth Monday against the Blue Jays.
Though the Yankees never officially placed him on the paternity list, Escarra was away from the club for a few days to observe the birth of his child before he returned to the bench for Sunday's 12-5 win over the Athletics. Escarra caught the final two innings of that contest and will now pick up his 20th start of the season Monday while top backstop Austin Wells rests.
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Yankees' J.C. Escarra: Expected back Sunday
Rotowire
Manager Aaron Boone said that Escarra (personal) is expected to rejoin the Yankees ahead of Sunday's game against the Athletics, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Escarra has been away from the team since Wednesday while observing the birth of his child, but the backup catcher won't be out much longer. Ben Rice will serve as the Yankees' No. 2 option behind the plate while Escarra remains unavailable.
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Yankees' J.C. Escarra: First career three-hit game
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Escarra went 3-for-4 with an RBI double and an RBI single during Sunday's 5-4 win over the Rockies.
Escarra, a 30-year-old rookie, notched his first three-hit game in the big leagues and drove in a pair of runs during Sunday's win. He came into the contest with one hit in his last eight at-bats. On the year, Escarra is slashing .244/.352/.400 with one homer, four doubles and a 7:7 BB:K across 54 plate appearances.
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Yankees' J.C. Escarra: Belts first major-league homer
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Escarra went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in the Yankees' 5-1 win over the Blue Jays in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader.
Escarra started in Sunday's nightcap after Austin Wells served behind home plate in Game 1. Escarra extended the Yankees' lead to three runs in the sixth inning on an RBI single to right field, and he followed that up with his first major-league home run in the eighth. Escarra has gone 5-for-25 with three walks, two runs scored, one home run and two RBI this season.
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Yankees' J.C. Escarra: Notches first big-league hit
Rotowire
Escarra went 1-for-4 with a double in Thursday's 9-7 victory over Arizona.
With Austin Wells getting a game off, Escarra made his first start of the campaign. The 29-year-old enjoyed a personal milestone in the seventh inning when he hit a double to right field for his first hit as a major-leaguer. Escarra is a feel-good story -- he made the Yankees' Opening Day roster this year after being out of affiliated ball in 2022 and 2023 -- but his fantasy viability is limited due to his role as a backup to Wells, though Escarra does have the ability to play at both corner-infield and corner-outfield spots if needed.
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Yankees' J.C. Escarra: Officially makes team
Rotowire
Escarra was informed Saturday that he will be on the Yankees' Opening Day roster.
Escarra has had an impressive spring, maintaining a .936 OPS with five extra-base hits across 48 at-bats. It was reported Tuesday that he was in line to make the team as the backup to Austin Wells, and that is now officially the case. In 2024, Escarra maintained a 119 wRC+ across 493 plate appearances combined between Double and Triple-A.
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Yankees' J.C. Escarra: Swinging hot stick in spring play
Rotowire
Escarra went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League win against the Phillies.
Escarra went deep in the seventh inning, blasting a 386-foot homer to right field. The 30-year-old has stood out this spring, slashing .355/.394/.645 with three homers, seven RBI and only six strikeouts over 33 plate appearances. Escarra thrived with a .930 OPS over 201 plate appearances at Triple-A last season, and he's competing for an Opening Day roster spot as New York's backup catcher behind Austin Wells.
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Yankees' J.C. Escarra: Joins 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Yankees selected Escarra's contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.
Escarra hit .261/.355/.434 with 12 homers between Double-A Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2024. The 29-year-old has yet to see any action at the major-league level but will enter the offseason as part of the Yankees' 40-man roster.
