It took a while, and the New York Yankees had to face some headwinds, but finally, Cody Bellinger is back in the lineup. The sun is truly coming out for the Bronx Bombers, at least in the field and not on the mound, as they enter the home stretch of the 2026 MLB season. If anyone was worried Bellinger may have been rushed back into action, manager Aaron Boone issued a straightforward statement.
“Excited [about getting Bellinger back] obviously. We had a pretty good rehab process where things went pretty smoothly. I feel like he’s been tested properly, he got a couple days’ worth of at-bats down [at Triple-A]. I feel like he’s ready to go,” Boone told media ahead of Bellinger’s first game back in MLB action.
Bellinger had urged Boone and the Yankees not to rush his rehab assignment with New York’s Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, so it’s easy to see why many fans might be wary of Bellinger’s return to MLB. Especially since the Yankees appear to have figured things out amid the key absences.
Just as Jazz Chisholm Jr. suggested, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger’s returns would be a huge boost, but having them back only to suffer setbacks would have the opposite effect. Judging by Boone’s comment and the fact that Bellinger will be tossed right into the fire in the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays, it appears New York need not fret about its left fielder’s health. Judge is in a different situation.
Cody Bellinger at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.
Boone yearns for Judge’s return
While excited about Bellinger’s return and the impact he has both at the plate and in the field, Boone couldn’t hide his desire for New York to get Judge back as soon as possible. That’s not to say the Yankees will rush Judge, but the sooner he can return—as long as he is fully healthy—the better.
Boone remains confident about Judge’s return, but his statement on Bellinger seemingly hinted at how he feels about getting one piece back while still being a long way from completing the puzzle.
“Obviously, [Bellinger is] a guy that helps us tremendously on both sides of the ball. To get one of our core guys back is big,” Boone stated, via SNY Yankees. His statement suggests that while great news, New York still misses Judge, as well as Giancarlo Stanton, as the core guys have been sidelined for far too long.
NY Yankees facing adversity
The fact that New York’s rotation is now seeing key members land on the injured list (IL) doesn’t help, either. Just when the Bronx Bombers plug a hole, a dozen more pop up across Yankee Stadium. It’s been a never-ending story throughout the 2026 MLB season, and the main concern remains that it might be what dooms the Pinstripers’ World Series aspirations. It could be death by a thousand cuts.
Sooner or later, the Yankees may come face-to-face with the inevitable. So far, New York has weaved its way through adversity, but it could take on a whole different shape in October. The Yankees hope missing key players at this stage of the season translates into having them fully available and healthy come playoff time.
It seems like a wise approach, but the truth remains that the Bronx Bombers have no way of telling the future, and there are no certainties when it comes to injuries and setbacks. Only time will tell, so the Yankees have no choice but to keep moving forward and let whatever happens happen.
