PHILADELPHIA — Standing at his locker, Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger didn’t sound too worried about the left hamstring discomfort that forced him to depart Saturday night’s 3-1 win over the Phillies in the eighth inning.
“It just feels a little tight,” Bellinger said. “I really don’t think it’s anything too serious. I feel like it’s on the smaller side. That’s just my honest (opinion). That’s how I feel.”
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Manager Aaron Boone was a little more concerned.
“I don’t want to speculate too much on it,” he said. “It looks like it could be something.”
Bellinger will find out Sunday if he’ll join two other main cogs to the Yankees’ lineup on the injured list, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
“There will be tests for sure,” he said.
Bellinger broke a 1-1 tie with a two-out RBI single in the Yankees’ seventh, then got hurt the next inning when he rounded first base on a double to left field. He remained in the game for one more batter, Trent Grisham’s inning-ending groundout, then was replaced in left field by Max Schuemann in the bottom of the eighth.
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“I thought I noticed it (when Bellinger was) going to second,” Boone said, “but when he waved me off right away I thought maybe he knew he was going to be a safe, so he just kind of pulled the chute a little bit and cruised in. But he said he felt as Grish’s bat was unfolding that he would have had an issue scoring probably. At that point, he took himself out.”
If Bellinger goes on the 10-day IL, his left field spot probably would be filled at least temporarily by rookie outfielder Spencer Jones, who already has had three call-ups this season.
The Yankees already were believed to be looking for a right-handed-hitting outfielder to acquire before the Aug. 3 trade deadline and Bellinger missing time probably would force GM Brian Cashman to be more aggressive in his pursuit. Options for the Yankees include three veterans who would bring some power and below-average outfield play – the Giants’ Heliot Ramos, the Orioles’ Taylor Ward and the Royals’ Lane Thomas.
Even though Bellinger still hasn’t ended a homer drought that is up to a career-long 130 plate appearances, he’d been feeling good at the plate again for a couple weeks after a month of terrible struggles.
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Bellinger went into the break stringing four good games in a row, then he went to Philadelphia and was the MVP of the All-Star Game. This mini streak has turned into a hot streak that continued when he returned to Philly this weekend.
But now a Yankees offense that has scored three or fewer runs in 19 of their last 32 games could be without another star player for a while
“It sucks,” Bellinger said. “I know for myself, I hate going down. It’s no fun being on IL. It’s no fun. I’ll see how I wake up (Sunday) and hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
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