{"id":38888,"date":"2025-04-06T03:20:55","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T03:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888"},"modified":"2025-04-06T03:20:55","modified_gmt":"2025-04-06T03:20:55","slug":"cody-bellinger-feels-better-but-back-injury-could-still-threaten-his-comeback-%f0%9f%98%b1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888","title":{"rendered":"Cody Bellinger &#8220;feels better&#8221;, but back injury could still threaten his comeback! \ud83d\ude31"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex w-full max-w-[980px] flex-col px-4 pt-4 font-secondary lg:px-0\">\n<p class=\"dek prose mb-2.5 italic text-secondary\">Cody Bellinger provides an injury update.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full max-w-[980px] flex-row gap-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col lg:max-w-[660px]\">\n<div class=\"px-4 pb-5 lg:px-0\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-wrap justify-between gap-4  font-secondary md:items-center \">\n<div class=\"flex-row flex-wrap items-center text-primary\">\n<div class=\"author-link mr-2.5 flex items-center text-sm md:text-nowrap \">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aspect-video w-full max-w-full object-contain object-center px-4 lg:px-0\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg?w=700\" sizes=\" (max-width: 768px) 600px,  (min-width: 769px) 700px\" srcset=\"\n              https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg?w=700 600w,\n              https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg?w=700 900w\n            \" alt=\"New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) holds a torpedo bat as he steps up to the plate in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium.\" \/><\/figure>\n<article class=\"article-body prose max-w-none pb-7 pt-5 prose-figure:max-w-full prose-ol:pl-10 prose-img:max-w-full prose-video:max-w-full md:prose-ol:pl-6 [&amp;_iframe]:m-auto [&amp;_iframe]:block [&amp;_iframe]:max-w-full\">New York Yankees\u00a0star\u00a0Cody Bellinger did not play on Friday\u00a0against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to back stiffness. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com recently\u00a0provided an update from Bellinger as the Yankees prepare for the second game of the series against the Pirates on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCody Bellinger (lower back) took swings in the batting cage and said he is feeling better. Thinks he could be available off the bench today, and the lineup tomorrow is a possibility,\u201d Hoch wrote on X, formerly Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>Barring any unforeseen setbacks, it seems as if Bellinger&#8217;s back injury concern is not considered to be serious. It will still be a situation to monitor, of course. Bellinger may be available to pinch hit if necessary on Saturday. He also could return to the lineup for Sunday&#8217;s game.<\/p>\n<p>Bellinger started the season strong\u00a0with the Yankees. The 29-year-old, who was traded from the Chicago Cubs to New York this past offseason, has cooled off in recent action. Overall, he is slashing .238\/.296\/.381\/.677 across six games played.<\/p>\n<div class=\"not-prose flex w-full flex-col gap-2 divide-y divide-solid divide-[#58585820] bg-[#FAFAFA] px-4 pt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col\">\n<article class=\"article-body prose max-w-none pb-7 pt-5 prose-figure:max-w-full prose-ol:pl-10 prose-img:max-w-full prose-video:max-w-full md:prose-ol:pl-6 [&amp;_iframe]:m-auto [&amp;_iframe]:block [&amp;_iframe]:max-w-full\">If Bellinger can return and stay healthy, he should have a chance to enjoy a big season in New York. Opposing pitchers have to focus on\u00a0Aaron Judge\u00a0which could lead to good pitches to hit for Bellinger and other batters in the lineup.<\/p>\n<p>For now, Aaron Judge and the Yankees will try to defeat the Pirates once again despite Cody Bellinger&#8217;s injury absence. New York earned a 9-4 victory against the Pirates on Friday, as Judge crushed his sixth home run in just seven games.<\/p>\n<p>The Yankees are in first place in the American League East with a 5-2 record. The ball club appears to be poised to make another run at a division title.<\/p>\n<p>First pitch for the upcoming Yankees-Pirates game is scheduled for 4:05 PM EST on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cody Bellinger provides an injury update. New York Yankees\u00a0star\u00a0Cody Bellinger did not play on Friday\u00a0against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to back stiffness. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com recently\u00a0provided&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cody Bellinger &quot;feels better&quot;, but back injury could still threaten his comeback! \ud83d\ude31 - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cody Bellinger &quot;feels better&quot;, but back injury could still threaten his comeback! \ud83d\ude31 - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cody Bellinger provides an injury update. New York Yankees\u00a0star\u00a0Cody Bellinger did not play on Friday\u00a0against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to back stiffness. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com recently\u00a0provided...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-06T03:20:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"393\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888\",\"name\":\"Cody Bellinger \\\"feels better\\\", but back injury could still threaten his comeback! \ud83d\ude31 - 24\/7 News America\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-06T03:20:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-06T03:20:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4fd584257b8aaef08c4e2bc73ee6a914\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg\",\"width\":700,\"height\":393},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cody Bellinger &#8220;feels better&#8221;, but back injury could still threaten his comeback! \ud83d\ude31\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"24\/7 News America\",\"description\":\"Breaking Stories, Real Insights&quot;\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4fd584257b8aaef08c4e2bc73ee6a914\",\"name\":\"Admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab07af1f129ef9c67f3a58e6273eac4d8eb51a1cb066ea995eb6d5f03eceb61b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab07af1f129ef9c67f3a58e6273eac4d8eb51a1cb066ea995eb6d5f03eceb61b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Admin\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?author=2\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cody Bellinger \"feels better\", but back injury could still threaten his comeback! \ud83d\ude31 - 24\/7 News America","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cody Bellinger \"feels better\", but back injury could still threaten his comeback! \ud83d\ude31 - 24\/7 News America","og_description":"Cody Bellinger provides an injury update. New York Yankees\u00a0star\u00a0Cody Bellinger did not play on Friday\u00a0against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to back stiffness. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com recently\u00a0provided...","og_url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888","og_site_name":"24\/7 News America","article_published_time":"2025-04-06T03:20:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":700,"height":393,"url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Admin","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888","url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888","name":"Cody Bellinger \"feels better\", but back injury could still threaten his comeback! \ud83d\ude31 - 24\/7 News America","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg","datePublished":"2025-04-06T03:20:55+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-06T03:20:55+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4fd584257b8aaef08c4e2bc73ee6a914"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg","width":700,"height":393},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=38888#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cody Bellinger &#8220;feels better&#8221;, but back injury could still threaten his comeback! \ud83d\ude31"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/","name":"24\/7 News America","description":"Breaking Stories, Real Insights&quot;","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4fd584257b8aaef08c4e2bc73ee6a914","name":"Admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab07af1f129ef9c67f3a58e6273eac4d8eb51a1cb066ea995eb6d5f03eceb61b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab07af1f129ef9c67f3a58e6273eac4d8eb51a1cb066ea995eb6d5f03eceb61b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Admin"},"url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38888"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38897,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38888\/revisions\/38897"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}