The Yankees’ injury luck took another hit on July 25, and the timing could hardly be better for the Red Sox.
Cody Bellinger left New York’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies after doubling in the eighth inning and needing a moment to get himself up after sliding into second base. He stayed in the game through the rest of the inning, but he never went back out to the field.
The Yankees appeared to be holding out hope that he could avoid the injured list, especially after he was seen doing drills on the field at Citizens Bank Park before Sunday’s series finale. Instead, New York put him on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain before the game.
That’s a brutal loss for a Yankees team already trying to survive without Aaron Judge, who has been on the IL since June 2 with a stress fracture in his ribs. Judge’s absence has left a clear hole in the lineup, and Bellinger’s injury only makes the problem worse.
Ben Rice and Bellinger have been New York’s second- and third-most important offensive pieces, and losing either one is a serious hit. Losing Bellinger now could be devastating.
The numbers show why he matters so much. Bellinger is hitting .259/.350/.420 with 21 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs and 53 RBI in 103 games.
His value isn’t limited to the batter’s box, either. In left field, he has six outs above average and a league-leading 19 defensive runs saved.
The schedule doesn’t do the Yankees any favors, either. They’re headed into a stretch that starts with the White Sox and Cubs, then moves on to the Cardinals, Braves and Mariners. Bellinger is only on the 10-day IL, so he may not miss all of those matchups, but New York would surely prefer to have him back for the tougher ones, especially the two Chicago clubs.
Boston, meanwhile, gets a much friendlier run. The Red Sox have two series against the Athletics in the same week, and Oakland has gone 4-17 in July while tumbling out of Wild Card contention. With New York still waiting on Judge and now missing Bellinger too, the door is open for Boston to make a move.
The Red Sox are 4.5 games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card standings, and a strong two weeks against the A’s could be enough to push them into the first Wild Card spot.
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