Bellinger returns to Yankees lineup after 25-game hamstring absence
New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger has been activated from the injured list, ending a 25-game absence caused by a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
The New York Yankees have activated outfielder Cody Bellinger from the injured list, concluding a 25-game absence that began in July. Bellinger, who sustained a Grade 2 strain to his left hamstring after running the bases, started in left field and batted fourth in the team’s finale of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Manager Aaron Boone confirmed that Bellinger had completed a successful rehabilitation process, noting that the outfielder had tested well in recent nights and was ready to return to the lineup. "He’s had a pretty good rehab process here and he’s got tested well enough the last two nights," Boone said. "So I feel like he’s ready to roll and excited to get him back."
To accommodate Bellinger’s return to the active roster, Max Schuemann was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Schuemann, who was recalled on Friday when Ryan McMahon went on the injured list with a sprained left thumb, is hitting .194 in 42 games for the Yankees this season.
During Bellinger’s absence, the Yankees managed a 14-11 record and currently sit three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. New acquisition Heliot Ramos started 15 games while Bellinger was injured and is expected to continue seeing time in right field when the Yankees face left-handed starters.
Bellinger, who re-signed with the Yankees last winter for $162.5 million over five years, was the MVP of the All-Star Game on 14 July. He enters his return with a .259 batting average, 11 home runs, and 53 RBIs in 102 games this season, though he carried a 31-game homerless streak into Sunday’s match.
According to reporting by The Associated Press, Bellinger’s return marks a significant shift in the Yankees’ offensive structure as they look to close the gap in the AL East standings.
