New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger is facing a four-to-six-week absence after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, manager Aaron Boone announced Monday.
Bellinger suffered the injury while rounding first base during a Yankees victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. He was placed on the 10-day injured list the following day.
The injury is yet another setback for a Yankees lineup already dealing with significant absences. Aaron Judge has been sidelined with a rib injury since early June, while Giancarlo Stanton has been out since April 24 with a calf injury. Neither player has received clearance to return to baseball activities.
Bellinger, 31, earned All-Star Game MVP honors earlier this month after delivering a two-run single in the first inning, helping the American League cruise to a 4-0 win. The former National League MVP is currently in his second year with New York, having appeared in 102 of the team’s first 104 games before going down with the injury. This season, he is batting .259 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 55 walks.
Over the course of his career spanning 1,259 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017-22), Chicago Cubs (2023-24), and the Yankees, Bellinger carries a .260 batting average along with 236 home runs, 748 RBIs, and 114 stolen bases.
To fill the void, the Yankees called up Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. Utility player Max Schuemann is getting the start in left field — Bellinger’s usual position — for the second consecutive day as New York opens a series against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Jones is slated to start in center field for that game.
