Cody Bellinger injured list move gives Yankees another injury hit
Cody Bellinger is on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain as the Yankees try to keep pace in the AL East.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Cody Bellinger injured list news landed Sunday as the New York Yankees placed the All-Star outfielder on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain, according to the Associated Press.
The move came before New York’s Sunday night game at Philadelphia, where the Yankees were already trying to get through a stretch without some of their biggest bats. The team recalled outfielder Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Bellinger’s roster spot, the AP reported.
Bellinger’s absence costs the Yankees a key outfield defender and another middle-of-the-order option. According to the AP, New York entered Sunday 2½ games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.
How long is Cody Bellinger out?
Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list, which means he must miss at least 10 days. The AP did not report a longer recovery timetable or a target date for his return.
The injury happened Saturday night in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Phillies, according to the AP. Bellinger said he felt tightness in his left hamstring while rounding first base on a double.
Manager Aaron Boone came out, but Bellinger waved him off and stayed on base for the rest of the inning, the AP reported. Afterward, he walked slowly off the field and went down the tunnel toward the clubhouse.
Max Schuemann replaced Bellinger in the bottom half of the inning, according to the AP.
Who else are the Yankees missing?
The Yankees have been without Aaron Judge since May 31 because of a fractured rib, the AP reported. Giancarlo Stanton has also been sidelined since April 24 with a strained right calf.
That puts Bellinger’s injury into a rougher frame for New York. Judge and Stanton are two of the club’s most prominent power hitters, and Bellinger had been giving the Yankees both regular production and elite defense.
Through 102 games this season, Bellinger is batting .259 with 11 home runs and 53 RBIs, according to the AP. He entered Saturday with 19 defensive runs saved, the top mark in the majors.
Bellinger was also named MVP of the All-Star Game two weeks earlier in Philadelphia, the AP reported.
What does Spencer Jones add?
Jones was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Bellinger went on the injured list, according to the AP. The report did not detail how the Yankees planned to use him in the outfield.
Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees last winter on a five-year, $162.5 million deal, the AP reported. He was batting .280 in mid-June before a slump pulled his average down to .254 entering the All-Star break.
According to the AP, Bellinger has not hit a home run in a month. Now the Yankees have to wait on his hamstring while trying to stay close in the division race.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.