Cody Bellinger returns for Yankees after 25-game IL stint
The New York Yankees activated Cody Bellinger from the injured list Sunday after he missed 25 games with a strained left hamstring. He batted fourth and started in left field against Toronto, going 1-for-4 in a 4-3 win. Bellinger said he felt ready after a Grade 2 strain projected to sideline him four to six weeks.
Key Takeaways
- Cody Bellinger returned Sunday after a Grade 2 left hamstring strain cost him 25 games.
- He started in left field, batting cleanup, and went 1-for-4 while scoring in a 4-3 win over Toronto.
- The Yankees went 14-11 without him and sit three games behind the Rays in the AL East.
- Max Schuemann was optioned to Triple-A to clear a roster spot for the activation.
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When did Cody Bellinger return to the Yankees lineup?
New York activated Cody Bellinger on Sunday for the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays, his first major-league game since July 25 in Philadelphia. He had finished a two-game rehab stint with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, including a hitless night in left field Friday after a single as the designated hitter the day before.
Manager Aaron Boone had said the outfielder would miss four to six weeks. The return landed a bit more than four weeks after the injury. Bellinger told reporters Saturday he felt good and was "ready to go," according to coverage of his comments.
How did Bellinger perform in his first game back?
Bellinger hit fourth and started in left field. He struck out twice with a runner on before singling off Brendon Little and scoring on Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s two-run homer in the seventh of New York's 4-3 victory.
"I felt all right," Bellinger said. "I felt I was a little jumpy early on and in that fourth at-bat I was able to settle down a little bit." Boone noted he expanded early, then squared up a 3-1 pitch against a tough lefty and smoked it up the middle—a solid close to the first game back.
Season line entering the push: .259 with 11 home runs and 53 RBIs in 103 games. He is on a 32-game homerless streak, the second-longest of his career, but had hit .362 in his last 13 games before the IL stint. Full game details are in ESPN's report.
Why does Cody Bellinger's return matter for New York now?
The Yankees went 14-11 while he was out and remain three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East. Deadline addition Heliot Ramos started 15 games in Bellinger's absence and will likely see right-field time against left-handed starters.
To clear room, Max Schuemann was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Schuemann was hitting .194 in 42 games and had been recalled Friday when Ryan McMahon landed on the IL with a sprained left thumb.
Bellinger re-signed last winter for $162.5 million over five years after batting .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs in 2025. He was All-Star Game MVP on July 14 in Philadelphia. With Aaron Judge still working back from a rib stress fracture and Giancarlo Stanton dealing with a calf issue, his bat and defense are central to New York's late-season chase.