Wells was overlooked for most of the twenty/20 tournament in December with English professional Darren Stevens preferred. He suffered an injury during a one-day warm-up match and did not feature in the campaign.
But the 26-year-old has recovered and is looking forward to picking up where he left off.
"He has proved his fitness nicely and it is good to have him back," Otago coach Mike Hesson said.
Wells was a revelation with both the bat and the ball last season and started well with the bat this summer. He scored 237 runs at 47.40 and can probably count himself unlucky not to have got on the park during the twenty/20 tournament.
Top-order batsman Shaun Haig, who was also overlooked during the limited-overs season, has been named in the side and will probably bat at No 3, with Craig Cumming returning to his role at the top of the order and Neil Broom slotting in at No 4.
Broom found some form midway through the one-day competition with back-to-back tons and was in magnificent touch during the first three rounds of the Plunket Shield.
He scored an undefeated double century and is the competition's leading scorer with 347 runs at an average of 86.75.
Strike bowler Neil Wagner will also be looking forward to a return to the four-day game. Without batting power plays and fielding restrictions to worry about, the South African-born left-armer was in some of the best form of his career.
He is easily the competition's leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets at an average of 12.75.
Despite the success of Broom and Wagner, Otago is in fourth spot with six points from three matches.
Central Districts has a healthy lead with 24 points from Canterbury (10) and Northern Districts (10) in second and third places. Auckland and Wellington have two points apiece.
While Central Districts is in a good position, Hesson said the tournament was still wide open.
"With seven rounds remaining the competition is still extremely open which, in itself, creates excitement," he said.
It has been more than two months since Otago slipped into the whites and Hesson said the shift from limited-overs cricket to first-class cricket was as much a mental shift as anything else.
"We need to go back to the disciplines which saw us play so well in the first three rounds. It is more a mental shift than a major physical shift."
Otago
- Plunket Shield team
Craig Cumming (captain), Aaron Redmond, Shaun Haig, Neil Broom, Darren Broom, Sam Wells, Derek de Boorder, Ian Butler, Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner, Nick Beard, James McMillan.
