Cody Bellinger limped off the field Saturday night in Philadelphia with tightness in his left hamstring, turning a big late-game hit into a fresh headache for a Yankees team already taped together in the outfield as the trade deadline closes in. The outfielder had just smoked an eighth-inning double that helped New York pull away in a 3-1 win, but he came off slowly after rounding the bases and did not return. With Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton already shelved, the Yankees will be glued to Bellinger’s test results.
The scare started when Bellinger felt a “grab” while running out that eighth-inning double and was lifted for a defensive replacement in left field, helping preserve the 3-1 victory at Citizens Bank Park, according to MLB.com. Trainers escorted him down the dugout tunnel, and Max Schuemann finished the inning in the field. The club said it would run tests and monitor Bellinger overnight.
“I’ve never had a hamstring [injury] before,” Bellinger said. “It just feels a little tight. I really don’t think it’s anything too serious. I feel like it’s on the smaller side,” adding that he would “see how I wake up tomorrow,” per MLB.com. Manager Aaron Boone sounded less relaxed, saying “it looks like it could be something” and noting that imaging would determine the next steps. If Bellinger lands on the injured list, the team would likely recall Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a short-term option.
Outfield Depth Already Thin
Aaron Judge has not played since May 31 while recovering from a fractured rib, and Giancarlo Stanton has been out since April 24 with a strained right calf, leaving New York’s outfield mix stretched, according to The Washington Post. Those long-running absences have forced the Yankees to lean on younger, less-proven players for innings in the field and depth in the lineup. That backdrop is what makes Bellinger’s status feel bigger than a routine day-to-day check.
Deadline Math And Possible Moves
The Yankees had already been poking around for bullpen help and a right-handed-hitting catcher in the days leading up to the deadline, a shopping list that figures to take on more urgency if Bellinger is sidelined, as reported by the New York Daily News. Young outfielders such as Jasson Domínguez, José Caballero and Amed Rosario have logged time in left field, but none brings Bellinger’s blend of range and highlight-reel defense. Schuemann was expected to start Sunday against a lefty, giving the Yankees a stopgap plan while they wait on test results.
Bellinger sounded optimistic after the game and said he planned to undergo tests Sunday, while the Yankees indicated that any roster decisions would come only after imaging and medical evaluations. With the July trade deadline looming, even a brief absence could nudge the front office into acting faster, and a little more aggressively, than it might have planned 24 hours earlier.
.jpg){kind=link}