In a significant blow to an already anemic New York Yankees offense, outfielder Cody Bellinger suffered an apparent hamstring injury in the late innings of a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The injury appeared to happen as Bellinger was running from first to second base, and he left the game soon after. The exact severity and whether Bellinger will have to miss time is not yet known, but manager Aaron Boone said after the game that the injury “looks like it could be something.”
Cody Bellinger Leaves Yankees Win with Hamstring Injury
Bellinger has been one of New York’s better hitters for most of the season. After re-signing with the Yankees this offseason, the deal was paying off handsomely to start. However, Bellinger had fallen into a slump recently. Since the start of July, he is slashing .250/.311/.309 with no home runs and only three RBI in 18 games. In fact, his best game this month wasn’t even for the Yankees, but for the American League squad at the All-Star Game in Philadelphia. His two-run single in the first inning provided the go-ahead runs, and he took home MVP honors in the Midsummer Classic.
Aaron Boone says Cody Bellinger’s left hamstring injury “looks like it could be something”
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— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 26, 2026
Entering Saturday, Bellinger was slashing .257/.349/.416 with 11 homers and 52 RBI on the season. His numbers earned him his first All-Star appearance in a Yankees uniform, and a starting nod to boot.
Despite his recent struggles, any extended absence by Bellinger would greatly hurt the Yankees lineup, which is already thin. Aaron Judge‘s recovery from a rib fracture is progressing more slowly than expected, and Giancarlo Stanton continues to suffer setbacks as he rehabs his hamstring injury, making his future with the Yankees uncertain. The Bombers have been struggling to score for at least a month. Even in their two wins to start their current series, they’ve scored a grand total of four runs. One of their best hitters going on the shelf would make it even harder to turn things around.
The Last Word
Given the Yankees’ tendency to downplay injuries, the fact that Boone indicated this could be a less-than-insignificant injury is a major cause for concern. While there’s still the possibility that imaging will show only a minor strain or pull, Bellinger will almost certainly miss a few games at the very least. This could impact the Yankees’ trade deadline strategy. While they are likely to be buyers in the heat of the postseason race, exactly which areas the front office will focus on is yet to be determined.
Could they pull the trigger on a rental outfielder? Or will they give Spencer Jones another stint at the big league level if Bellinger hits the injured list (as they did when Judge got hurt)? The latter scenario is more likely at the moment, but Brian Cashman usually has one or two surprises up his sleeve when the deadline rolls around, even if they’re not always the most popular ones among Yankees fans.
Main Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
