New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, a setback that will likely sideline him for four to six weeks, manager Aaron Boone announced Monday.
The injury to Bellinger, a five-tool player and All-Star left fielder, is the latest in a series of significant injuries impacting the Yankees. The team is already without star outfielder Aaron Judge, who is still recovering from a right rib stress fracture, and Giancarlo Stanton, who is dealing with a second right calf strain. Both Judge and Stanton are with the team on their current road trip but are not close to returning to play.
Boone acknowledged the difficultly of the situation but expressed confidence in the team's ability to manage. "Obviously we’ve had some tough, tough injuries to some really important people," Boone said. "But again, that is part of it. The season waits for no one. It creates an opportunity, legitimately does, for one or more people to go plug that hole, to develop, to grow. We feel very much that we have capable guys that are capable of going out there and performing at a high level. So we got to weather that storm, and confident we can do that."
Prior to his injury, Bellinger had been experiencing an offensive slump but had recently turned his performance around before injuring his hamstring while legging out a double on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees had been relying on him for production in the outfield.
With Bellinger now out, the Yankees are looking to fill the void in left field. Max Schuemann was slated to start in left field on Monday, and Spencer Jones is expected to see significant time in the position, particularly against right-handed pitchers. Trent Grisham, who himself missed three weeks earlier this season with a hamstring strain, was given a day off on Monday.