RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 3 sourcesPHILADELPHIA — The New York Yankees will be without Cody Bellinger for a bit after placing the left fielder on the 10-day injured list prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Phillies.
Bellinger suffered a left hamstring strain while legging out a double in the eighth inning of Saturday’s win over Philadelphia. While the All-Star didn’t think his injury was “anything too serious,” he planned to undergo tests on Sunday after experiencing some tightness. Meanwhile, Aaron Boone foreshadowed an IL stint, stating that the injury “looks like it could be something.”
With Bellinger sidelined, the Yankees recalled fellow outfielder Spencer Jones.
An extended Bellinger absence would be a big blow to a Yankees lineup that has already suffered a few of them. The second-place squad has been missing Giancarlo Stanton (multiple calf strains) since April 24 and Aaron Judge (fractured rib) since May 31. It’s unclear when either slugger will rejoin the Yankees, who have one of baseball’s worst offenses since Judge last played.
Bellinger deserves some blame for that. The mega-millions outfielder, struggling with his swing decisions for several weeks, has not homered since June 17 and has a .212 average and a .559 OPS over 31 games since his last longball.
But Bellinger also had an RBI single in the sixth inning on Saturday, and he had posted a .372 average and a .903 OPS over his last 12 games before going on the IL. He said he’s felt better at the plate lately after his “cold stretch” lasted “way longer than I ever wanted it to be.”
That made the timing of his hamstring injury all the more frustrating, even before Bellinger knew he’d go on the shelf.
“It sucks,” he said. “I know for myself, I hate going down. It’s no fun being on the IL.”
Bellinger’s injury comes with about a week to go before the trade deadline. The Yankees were already looking for bullpen help and a right-handed hitting catcher. An additional bat wouldn’t have hurt, either, with Judge still in limbo.
That bat could become more of a pressing need now that Bellinger is out.
In the meantime, Jones is up for the third time this season. He struggled after his first promotion in early May but held his own his second time around, hitting .265 with two homers and an .815 OPS over 20 games from June 5 to July 1. Jones also came up as the Yankees’ 27th man for a doubleheader on July 22; he went 0 for 3 with a walk.
Jones is a left-handed hitter like Bellinger. However, the Yankees have been reluctant to use the rookie against southpaws, and Jones has not played left field in the majors. He has only played 20 games in left in the minors.
Jasson Domínguez, who has been playing right with Judge out, has experience in left. So does Max Schuemann — who was expected to start against Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sánchez on Sunday even before Bellinger got hurt — José Caballero and Amed Rosario.
However, none of those players are nearly as good on defense as Bellinger, who is second in the majors with 19 Defensive Runs Saved this season.
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