The New York Yankees are absolutely reeling right now, with Cody Bellinger joining an already crowded injured list, officially placed on the 10-day IL with a strained left hamstring. This is just brutal news for a team already trying to keep its head above water without key sluggers, and it puts even more pressure on a lineup that’s already been stretched thin.
Bellinger’s Hamstring Pull Is the Latest Punch to the Gut
This whole thing went down during Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Bellinger, a veteran outfielder, pulled up while running the bases after an eighth-inning double. Max Schuemann immediately stepped in for him in left field that same inning. Bellinger himself knew it was bad, saying afterwards, “I felt like it was smart to get out of there. I’ll see how I wake up tomorrow and go from there. As the at-bat went on, it felt like it probably wasn’t the smartest decision to stay.” He tried to downplay it a bit, noting he’d never had a hamstring injury before and thought it might be “on the smaller side,” but also admitted imaging could tell a different story. Well, the imaging spoke, and now he’s on the IL.
An All-Star IL Roster and a Power Drought
Bellinger, 31, has put up a .259/.350/.420 slash line in 434 plate appearances this season, with 11 home runs, 21 doubles, 53 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. Those are decent numbers, but he’s also riding one of the longest power droughts of his career, going 31 games without a homer. On the bright side, his defense has been stellar, racking up 19 Defensive Runs Saved and 6 Outs Above Average, primarily playing left field but also covering all three outfield spots and first base. His absence is a huge blow, especially since he’s joining an All-Star roster on the Yankees’ injured list. Aaron Judge has been out since June 4 with a stress fracture in his right rib cage that hasn’t fully healed, and Giancarlo Stanton, their designated hitter, has been sidelined for most of the season with a strained right calf since April 25. Seriously, what is going on out there?
What This Means for the Yankees’ Wild Card Fight
To fill Bellinger’s spot, the Yankees called up Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Jones has been crushing it in the minors with a .273/.385/.557 slash, 14 homers, 10 doubles, 52 RBI, and 10 steals. He did have a previous stint with the Yankees this season, batting .224 with a .669 OPS, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI, so hopefully he can translate that minor league power. As of Sunday, the Yankees are sitting at 59-45, two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The good news is they’ve got a firm grip on the league’s top wild-card playoff spot, six games ahead of the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians. But losing Bellinger, on top of Judge and Stanton, makes holding onto that lead a whole lot harder. Can Jones step up big for them? We’re about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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