Bellinger Heads to IL as Yankees Injuries Pile Up
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- Cody Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Yankees with a left hamstring strain before Sunday night's game at Philadelphia
- Spencer Jones was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Bellinger's spot on the roster
- Bellinger said he felt tightness in his hamstring while rounding first on a double in the eighth inning of Saturday's 3-1 win over the Phillies, then waived off manager Aaron Boone and walked off slowly to the clubhouse
- Bellinger entered Saturday leading the majors with 19 defensive runs saved and was MVP of the All-Star Game two weeks ago in Philadelphia
- Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees last winter on a five-year, $162.5 million deal and is hitting .259 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs in 102 games, though he's hit .254 since mid-June and hasn't homered in a month
- The Yankees entered Sunday 2½ games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East while also missing Aaron Judge (fractured rib, out since May 31) and Giancarlo Stanton (strained right calf, out since April 24)
Why it matters: The Yankees lose the majors' defensive runs saved leader and reigning All-Star Game MVP at a moment when they're already without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, leaving New York 2½ games back in the AL East and forcing a thin roster to absorb more innings from call-ups like Spencer Jones.
