Overview
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that an MRI confirmed Bellinger has a Grade 2 hamstring strain and the club expects him to be sidelined four to six weeks, with Spencer Jones added to the active roster.
- Bellinger had been a regular contributor this season, hitting .259/.350/.420 with 11 homers and 53 RBI in 102 games and leading the majors with 19 defensive runs saved before the injury.
- The loss compounds existing absences of Aaron Judge, who has been out since May 31 with a fractured rib, and Giancarlo Stanton, sidelined since April with a strained calf, while the team sits 59-46 and second in the AL East.
- The Yankees plan to lean on internal options such as Spencer Jones and increased playing time for Jasson Domínguez while they assess whether outside reinforcements are needed.
- Because a four-to-six week recovery would cover most of August, the timing increases pressure on New York’s trade-deadline decisions and could prompt the club to seek a short-term right-handed outfield bat to protect the lineup and cover Bellinger’s absence.