The New York Yankees finally said goodbye to Josh Donaldson on Tuesday, releasing the injured third baseman after two seasons with the team. Donaldson played in 33 games this year, spending the bulk of his time on the injured list with a calf and hamstring strain.

With Donaldson out the door, the Yankees have a 40-man roster spot open and a decision to make as rosters expand later this week. New York has begun to bring up some of its top prospects and the favorite to replace Donaldson on the roster may come from the same pool.

Chris Kirschner reports that the Yankees are likely to promote catcher Austin Wells when rosters expand on Friday.

Wells is the Yankees' No. 8 prospect. New York selected him in the first round of the draft in 2020. He's hit the ball well across three levels in the minor league this season. He has a .828 OPS in 31 Triple-A games.

With Jose Trevino expected to miss the rest of the season the Yankees would be wise to bring up another catcher for September, especially one who could be part of the big league roster in the near future. Wells should get some playing time backing up Kyle Higashioka who is nearing a career-high in innings caught.

The Yankees are well out of the playoff race and seem to have finally waved the white flag. Getting a look at some prospects now will give them a leg up next spring as they try to fill in the roster.

It's been a long time since the Yankees were looking forward to the next season before September, but that's the story of baseball in New York in 2023.