PHILADELPHIA — At a time when the Yankees are supposed to be adding, they were hit with another significant subtraction Sunday, one they can hardly afford.
Cody Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain that he suffered legging out a double in Saturday night’s win over the Phillies.
The All-Star left fielder joined Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the IL, as the Yankees were already scuffing offensively while missing those big bats.
It remains to be seen how long Bellinger will need to be on the IL — he was set to undergo an MRI on Monday back in New York to get a clearer picture — but his absence, along with uncertain timelines for returns from Judge and Stanton, only emphasizes the need for the Yankees to add some offense before next Monday’s trade deadline.
Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger runs the bases as he records a double against the Phillies on July 25, 2026. Getty Images
“It just felt like I won’t be able to put on the cleats for the next four days at least, so being short-manned for that long, you never know,” Bellinger said after going through some light agility drills at Citizens Bank Park. “So get a full roster up here and give the guys as much opportunity as they can.”
Spencer Jones was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Bellinger’s roster spot, though Max Schuemann started in left field for him Sunday night against Phillies lefty Cristopher Sánchez.
Those two will likely form something of a platoon in left field as the Yankees try to withstand Bellinger’s injury.
“Spencer’s ready for this shot,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I think he’s gotten better. I think he’s capable of having success up here and I think he’s ready to have success up here. Now you’ve got to go do it, obviously, but try to get him in matchups that are good and favorable. I feel like he can add something to our lineup.”
But there is no replacing Bellinger, even though he had recently gone through an extended slump from late June to just before the All-Star break.
The 31-year-old had begun to turn the corner of late, batting .372 with a .903 OPS over his last 12 games.
He still has not hit a home run since June 17, but his bounce back was vital for a team scrapping for any kind of production from its lineup.
Beyond the offense, Bellinger has also been the best defensive left fielder in the majors this season with 19 Defensive Runs Saved, which trailed only Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu for the most in baseball.
Because the Yankees do not want to move Jasson Domínguez from his new home in right field — where he has looked better of late — Jones will make the move to left field, where he has played 20 career games, all in the minors.
Boone viewed it as an encouraging sign that Bellinger was at least able to move around some on Sunday afternoon — which Trent Grisham did, too, the day after straining his hamstring in mid-June that ultimately cost him three weeks.
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The Yankees would probably sign up for that kind of timeline on Bellinger, though they should have a better idea as the week unfolds.
“It’s a little tight, but I didn’t wake up worse, so it’s good,” said Bellinger, who indicated that he felt better in his agility work Sunday than he did on the bases after sustaining the injury on a double in the eighth inning Saturday night.
In the meantime, the season continues as the Yankees again were tasked with staying afloat through another key absence.
“We have capable guys,” Boone said. “Belli’s struggled over the last few weeks. Hopefully was starting to get it going here a little bit. That’s one of those things where, hopefully an injury that costs you a little bit of time also can serve as a little bit of a reset too. When we get him back, hopefully he’s in a good place to go finish strong.
“We’ll have to do it a little bit differently, but we have guys capable of stepping up, coupled with the fact that we’re confident in our ability to hold runs down from the opposition. We’re going out there expecting to win.”
