The Yankees announced this afternoon that they’ve placed left fielder Cody Bellinger on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Outfielder Spencer Jones has been recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
Bellinger suffered the strain in the eighth inning of yesterday’s 3-1 win over the Phillies. Facing reliever Jonathan Bowlan, Bellinger hit a double to center field but felt tightness in his hamstring while rounding first base. Although he initially remained in the game, he told manager Aaron Boone that he would have had trouble scoring from second on a ball in play. Bellinger exited the game in the bottom half of the inning, with Max Schuemann entering in left field.
The severity of the strain is not yet clear, though Bellinger downplayed it when speaking to reporters after the game. Regardless, any absence will be deeply felt by the Yankees, who have struggled badly on offense since losing Aaron Judge to a right rib stress fracture on June 2nd. In 45 games since then, New York has only put up an 89 wRC+ at the plate, tied for fourth-worst in the league in that span. While they still have a 105 wRC+ overall, improvement on offense is badly needed as the team looks to catch the Rays in the AL East standings.
Bellinger has shared in those struggles, as he’s posted an 87 wRC+ since the Judge injury compared to a 141 wRC+ in his first 58 games of the season. Overall, he’s batting .259/.350/.420 with 11 home runs and a 119 wRC+ in 434 plate appearances. That’s a slight step down from last year’s production, though still the second-best mark on the team and good for 3.0 WAR according to FanGraphs.
It also helps that Bellinger is the best defensive left fielder in the game. To date, he leads qualified left fielders with 19 Defensive Runs Saved, with Boston’s Jarren Duran a distant second at 8 DRS. Meanwhile, Statcast rates Bellinger’s range and arm strength in the 94th percentile or better. Having a player of that caliber covering Yankee Stadium’s spacious left field is undeniably an asset, and that’s before his contributions at the plate. Now, the Yankees will be without Bellinger until a few days after the trade deadline, depending on the results of his tests.
Jones will take Bellinger’s spot in the meantime. The 25-year-old has taken 86 plate appearances this year, batting .224/.314/.355 with two home runs and a 92 wRC+. As advertised, Jones is hitting the ball very hard to the tune of a 94.3 mph average exit velocity, well above the league average of 88.8 mph. Also as advertised, he’s striking out at an absurdly high 40.7% clip. For a team with World Series aspirations, relying on the strikeout-prone Jones as an everyday player might work as a short-term move, but it’s hardly enough to make up for the loss of Bellinger’s production.
It’s possible the team could look to the trade market for a more permanent solution, especially with Judge still not nearing a return. As noted in our Trade Deadline Outlook series for Front Office subscribers, the Yankees are expected to prioritize upgrades at catcher and in the bullpen. Jon Heyman of the New York Post, writing just before Bellinger’s IL placement was announced, suggested New York could look for a righty-hitting outfielder as well. Heyman floated Lane Thomas, Spencer Steer, Jo Adell, Jorge Soler, and George Springer as potential targets if they are available, while adding that the team is “leery” about Luis Robert Jr. in light of his injury troubles.
Soler has an 82 wRC+ and is striking out at a 32.9% clip that’s better than Jones, but still well above league average. He’s a defensive liability and earning a $13MM salary, so he’s both expensive and not a clear upgrade. Adell is earning a more affordable $5.2MM according to MLBTR’s new Payroll Tracker, of which roughly $1.54MM would remain after the August 3rd deadline. However, like Soler, Adell is a defensive liability and having a below-average season offensively, so he’s not much of an upgrade either. Springer, meanwhile, is the most expensive of the group and plays for a division rival, so a trade isn’t especially likely.
Thomas and Steer are hovering around league average at the plate, and the Royals and Reds are both entering the deadline as sellers. Of the two, Steer would be the more costly acquisition, as he’s controllable through 2028. Thomas, a pure rental, wouldn’t cost as much. He’s done well with the platoon advantage this year, posting a 115 wRC+ against southpaws compared to a 90 wRC+ against same-handed pitchers. If Bellinger requires more than a minimum absence, perhaps there’s a scenario in which New York acquires Thomas or someone similar to platoon with the left-handed-hitting Jones, then uses them off the bench upon Bellinger’s return.
Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images
