Man, just when you think the Yankees can’t catch another bad break, here we are. Cody Bellinger is officially on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring, a brutal gut punch for a team already limping through the season.
Another Injury Blow Hits the Bronx Bombers
Bellinger, 31, pulled up lame running the bases on an eighth-inning double during Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He felt it was “smart to get out of there,” and Max Schuemann had to jump in to finish the inning. Dude even tried to downplay it, saying he’d “never had a hamstring [injury] before” and it just felt “a little tight.” He didn’t “think it’s anything too serious,” believing it was “on the smaller side.” You just gotta hope he’s right, but hamstrings are tricky.
This injury comes at a tough time for Bellinger. While he’s got a solid .259/.350/.420 slash line in 434 plate appearances with 11 homers, 21 doubles, 53 RBI, and 10 stolen bases, he’s also riding a 31-game homerless streak. That’s one of his longest power droughts, so the bat was already trying to get right. He’s been a workhorse defensively, playing all three outfield spots and first base, racking up 19 Defensive Runs Saved and 6 Outs Above Average mostly in left field. What a bummer.
The IL Is Getting Crowded in New York
Let’s be real, Bellinger isn’t joining an empty waiting room on the Yankees’ injured list. We’re talking about an All-Star roster already sidelined. Aaron Judge has been out since June 4 with a stress fracture in his right rib cage, and his return this season is still a huge question mark. And don’t even get me started on Giancarlo Stanton, who’s been gone for most of the season with a strained right calf since April 25. That’s a lot of firepower sitting on the bench.
To cover Bellinger’s absence, the Yankees called up Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Jones put up some solid minor league numbers, slashing .273/.385/.557 with 14 homers, 10 doubles, 52 RBI, and 10 steals. He did have a previous stint with the big club this season, batting .224 with a .669 OPS, 2 homers, and 7 RBI. He’s got a chance to make an impact, but filling those shoes is tough.
So, where does this leave the Yankees? They were sitting at 59-45 going into Sunday, just two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the AL East. And yeah, they’ve got a decent six-game cushion for the top wild-card spot over the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians. But losing another key outfielder, especially with Judge’s return up in the air and Stanton basically gone all year, that’s gonna test their depth big time. They need Jones to step up, and they need it now. Every game matters, and this injury just ratcheted up the pressure.
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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