Yankees finally shake up struggling catchers, demote J.C. Escarra

The Yankees have gotten almost nothing offensively from the catching position, with Austin Wells in a season-long slump and J.C.Escarra yet to prove he can hit in the majors.After another hitless night from Wells in a 5-3 loss to Boston, and with the Red Sox scheduled to start lefties the next two games, Escarra was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the game and Ali Sánchez will be called up from SWB, a source confirmed.  Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

The righty-hitting Sánchez is not expected to be a long-term solution, but carrying two catchers that hit from the left side — and not well — hasn’t worked.Sánchez, 29, has played 50 games in the majors after coming up through the Mets system.Prior to the game, general manager Brian Cashman didn’t rule out Ben Rice potentially being used at the position later in the season, once Giancarlo Stanton returns from his calf strain.Asked if Rice — another lefty hitter — could catch, with Stanton at DH and Paul Goldschmidt at first, Cashman said, “It’s a fair question.”“It’s something I’ll defer to down the line,” Cashman said.“Rice has been fantastic and is certainly capable of going behind the plate.

We’ll kick it around down the line.It’s not something that’s on the radar now.”Rice started 26 games at catcher last season, but now that he’s emerged as one of the top hitters in the majors, the Yankees have been more reluctant to use him anywhere but at first base and DH.

And with Goldschmidt hitting well, Rice has been a regular at DH.Putting him behind the plate could take a toll on Rice, who they need to produce even more now with Judge out.Instead, the Yankees will add Sánchez.Wells is 1-for-18 with no extra-base hits, two walks and six strikeouts since his three-hit game May 26 and was booed after a seventh-inning strikeout.Cashman ruled out looking fo...