Sep 11, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) follows through on an RBI single against the Detroit Tigers during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Yankees Not Concerned With Cody Bellinger's Recent Injury News

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Mitchell Corcoran | Last updated Mar 1, 2026 10:56 AM ET

New York Yankees star outfielder Cody Bellinger is expected to miss the next couple of Spring Training games due to back discomfort, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reported on Feb. 28.

Manager Aaron Boone told Hoch that Bellinger's "back went out on him" on Feb. 27 and has not played in the two most recent contests against the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bellinger's last appearance was in the Feb. 26 7-3 win over the Atlanta Braves, where he went 0-for-3 from the plate, all from fly outs.

"He’ll probably, I’m guessing, [miss] a couple of days,” Boone said via Hoch. "He’s quite a bit better today. So we don’t think it’s anything. The trainers aren’t too concerned about it.

“This is something that crops up on him every now and then, usually sometime in the spring or earlier in the year. We dealt with it a little bit in-season early last year.”

Bellinger's Injury History

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Bellinger's back became a concern in April 2025 when the team was in Pittsburgh to face the Pirates. Hoch reported that Bellinger pointed to discomfort in his lower back and upper right hip.

“It’s just a little unaligned,” Bellinger said at the time, according to Hoch. “It creates a little bit of tightness. I’ve had it before multiple times. I just know it’s a few days thing.”

"It’s not something I want to mess with,” Boone also said then. “I don’t think it’s anything too big.”

It's unclear whether Bellinger's current back discomfort is related to his previous injury.

According to Bellinger's injury log, the previous back injury was the last setback he has experienced since joining the Yankees.

What This Means Going Forward

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It's never a good sign to see your 30-year-old star player dealing with what seems to be a recurring back injury after signing him to a five-year, $162.5 million deal. But the Yankees don't seem to be too worried.

The good news is that the Yankees are expected to see Bellinger return in just two days on March 3. But this will be an injury to keep an eye on all season.

Bellinger seemed to recover well from his previous back injury, as he slashed 272/.334/.480 and blasted 29 home runs with 98 RBIs and played 152 games in 2025.

Bellinger's back discomfort could benefit fringe Opening Day roster outfielders like Spencer Jones and Jasson Domínguez.

The Yankees now have two outfielders dealing with injuries. The other is Giancarlo Stanton, who has been dealing with tennis elbows in both arms. His expected return is the same as Bellinger's on March 3.

If the injuries persist with Stanton and Bellingers, then that could present more opportunity for the youngesters Jones and Domínguez.

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This article first appeared on New York Yankees on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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