The New York Yankees have spent much of the second half trying to navigate an offense missing several of its biggest names. Aaron Judge remains sidelined, Giancarlo Stanton is still working his way back and Bellinger has been unavailable since late July. That has put additional pressure on the players currently carrying the lineup as New York tries to keep pace in the American League East.
Bellinger had been an important part of that group before the injury. The 31-year-old was batting .259 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .770 OPS through 102 games and had just been named All-Star Game MVP.
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Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list after suffering a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring on July 25 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Ahead of the Yankees’ series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, manager Aaron Boone said Bellinger should be in line for a rehab assignment sometime next week (via New York Times reporter Gary Phillips).
The update comes after Bellinger resumed outdoor hitting and running. Bellinger has already been running at more than 90% of his top speed, although he has still experienced some tightness.
The Yankees initially expected him to miss four to six weeks after the injury, so the possibility of a rehab assignment next week puts him on a path toward returning around the beginning of September.
New York entered Friday 68-53 and second in the AL East, six games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, with Judge and Stanton also working toward their own returns.
Bellinger’s presence would immediately give Boone another established left-handed bat and a versatile defender. The Yankees also acquired Heliot Ramos from the Giants at the trade deadline to help cover the outfield after Bellinger’s injury.
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