New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Cody Bellinger will be sidelined for four to six weeks following a Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring, manager Aaron Boone announced Monday.
Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday after experiencing tightness in his hamstring late in the Yankees’ 3-1 victory over the Phillies on Saturday night. He was substituted in the bottom of the eighth inning and subsequently missed Sunday’s game against Philadelphia.
The Yankees are already dealing with significant injuries as they approach the trade deadline next week. The team has been without slugger Aaron Judge since May 31 due to a fractured rib, while designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton remains out with a strained right calf that has kept him sidelined since April 24. Entering Monday, the Yankees trailed first-place Tampa Bay by three games in the AL East.
The Yankees recalled outfielder Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre prior to Sunday night’s game to fill Bellinger’s roster spot.
“We just have to mix and match and piece it together,” Boone said. “We have capable guys. We’re going out there expecting to win.”
This season, Bellinger is batting .259 with 11 home runs and 53 RBIs across 102 games. He entered Saturday with 19 defensive runs saved, the highest total in the majors, and was named Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia.
Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees last winter to a five-year, $162.5 million contract and has been a cornerstone of the team’s offense. After hitting .280 through mid-June, a recent slump brought his average down to .254 entering the All-Star break. He has not homered in over a month.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.