New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger is missing time due to a familiar back issue that flared up on Friday. Manager Aaron Boone expects the 30-year-old to return in a couple of days. The discomfort has cropped up before, particularly in spring training.
Tampa, Fla. – Cody Bellinger is dealing with back discomfort again, an issue that previously sidelined him last April during a series in Pittsburgh. At that time, Bellinger described the problem, pointing to the area near his lower back and upper right hip. “It’s just a little unaligned,” he said. “It creates a little bit of tightness. I’ve had it before multiple times. I just know it’s a few days thing.”
According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, Bellinger’s “back went out on him” on Friday. Speaking after the team’s 5-1 Grapefruit League victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, Boone provided an update. “He’ll probably, I’m guessing, [miss] a couple of days,” Boone said. “He’s quite a bit better today. So we don’t think it’s anything. The trainers aren’t too concerned about it.”
Boone noted that this is a recurring problem for Bellinger. “This is something that crops up on him every now and then, usually sometime in the spring or earlier in the year,” he said. “We dealt with it a little bit in-season early last year.” The manager indicated Bellinger could return to the lineup on Tuesday, when the Yankees are scheduled to host Team Panama in an exhibition game. That date also marks the planned spring debut for teammate Giancarlo Stanton, who has been managing tennis elbow in both arms.
Bellinger, who signed a five-year, $162.5 million contract with the Yankees in late January, had a solid season last year, slashing .272/.334/.480 with 25 doubles, 29 homers and 98 RBIs in 152 games for New York.
