Yankees' Aaron Boone Makes Cody Bellinger Statement After Aaron Judge Injury
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The New York Yankees are led by superstar outfielder Aaron Judge. Judge is one of the best players in the game and likely the best right-handed hitter of this generation. But he can't do it himself, no matter how many home runs he hits.
But Judge recently hit the injured list with a flexor strain in his throwing arm. While it's expected he will rejoin the team in the coming days following a potential 10-day stint on the IL, it's clear the Yankees need other players to step up.
So far, that's been Cody Bellinger.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently shared quite a lot of high praise for the star outfielder.
TORONTO, ON - JULY 21: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on during batting practice before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on July 21, 2025 in...
TORONTO, ON - JULY 21: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on during batting practice before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on July 21, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. More"We talk about Judgie being MVP and rightfully so, but we're going to get to the end of the year, and Cody Bellinger's going to be on that list. I don't know where he's going to fall but he's played that well," Boone said earlier this week.
Bellinger is 5-for-19 with four RBI, a home run, and two triples in Judge's absence. He's been a key piece of three Yankees wins without Judge.
On the season, he's slashing .283/.336/.517 with an elite .853 OPS and 20 home runs. Pair that with his veteran leadership, everyday play, and top-tier outfield defense, and you have a very valuable player that the Yankees will likely want to hold onto for a long time.
With Judge likely heading back to the team in the near future, the team should be fine down the stretch. Bellinger's production is a key piece of the puzzle for Boone's squad, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him receive MVP votes at the end of the year.
More MLB: Yankees Trade Brewing? Twins Pitcher Linked To New York In Deadline Deal
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
4 minutes ago
- USA Today
MVP leader Napheesa Collier injures ankle in Lynx's 53-point win over Aces
The Minnesota Lynx's dominance was on display Saturday with a 111-58 victory over the Las Vegas Aces, but the historic win was mitigated by forward Napheesa Collier leaving the game with a right ankle injury. Collier twisted her ankle after inadvertently colliding with teammate Alanna Smith under the basket on a rebound attempt with 10.8 seconds remaining in the third quarter and the Lynx up by 43 points. An emotional Collier remained down on the floor at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas and was surrounded by players from both teams before unsuccessfully attempting to stand on her own. Collier was able to walk off the court with assistance and went to the locker room. She was ruled out the remainder of the game with a right ankle injury, finishing with 18 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in the largest road win in WNBA history. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said it's "just way too early" to provide an injury update for Collier following the win, but noted that the five-time All-Star will undergo imaging and evaluations per team protocol. Reeve added, "We'll worry until we know more." Collier scored 14 of her 18 points in the third quarter before she got injured. The Lynx had amassed such a large lead that Aces coach Becky Hammon pulled her starters with 5:22 seconds remaining in the third as the Aces trailed by 33 points. When asked if Lynx starter should have been pulled earlier in the game, Reeve said, "No." "It's the third quarter of a game on someone else's floor. I don't think the game is over. I don't think like that. (Collier) had a sub there and she wasn't going to play the fourth quarter. Sometimes these things happen," Reeve said postgame. "I get it. People are going to rail on me and that's part of sitting in the seat that I'm sitting in. We did what we think was right. Sometimes these things happen and it's unfortunate and hopefully she will be OK." Minnesota win by 53 points is the second biggest blowout in WNBA history, second only to the Lynx's 59-point victory over the Indiana Fever on Aug. 18, 2017. Kayla McBride finished with a team-high 24 points after starting 8-of-8 from 3-point range. Minnesota finished with a franchise-high 17 3-pointers in the win, with two coming from Collier. "You hate to see anyone go down, especially your MVP," McBride said. "When we see Phee go down, we see Phee the person before the basketball player. Just wishing the best for her. Speedy recovery. We just want her to be healthy. She's had such an amazing season and she's just so impactful for us on both ends of the floor." McBride said Collier was "in good spirits" in the locker room. Collier is the MVP frontrunner. She's averaging a career-high and league-leading 23.8 points through 25 games. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year also ranks among the top five in the league in steals (1.8 per game) and blocks (1.7 per game). Minnesota faces Seattle (Aug. 5) and Washington (Aug. 8) before three consecutive games against the Liberty (Aug. 10, 16 and 19.) The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier leaves during Lynx's 53-point blowout win over Aces
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Minnesota Lynx forward and MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier injured her right ankle and left the game during Saturday's 111-58 victory over the Las Vegas Aces. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said it was too soon to assess the severity of her star player's injury. 'She was in the locker room with us, but as protocol, tomorrow or whatever chance we get, we'll continue to evaluate and examine images, all that good stuff,' Reeve said. Trailing the play in which Natisha Hiedeman drove the lane for a lay-up, Collier appeared to step on teammate Alanna Smith's left foot and immediately went down near Las Vegas' bench with the Lynx holding a 92-49 lead late in the third quarter. She attempted to stand, but sat back down on the court, writhing in pain, and was immediately surrounded by Aces starters A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, NaLyssa Smith and Kierstan Bell, who all held towels to shield her from exposure. Collier's teammates, coaches and trainers eventually made their way to the opposite end of the court to tend to the 2025 All-Star MVP. The seventh-year pro left the court on her own and went straight to the locker room, moving slowly and walking gingerly while favoring her right ankle with a Lynx staffer under her arm. Collier did not return. The league-leading Lynx (24-5) are off until Tuesday, when they'll finish their two-game trip in Seattle. The 53-point victory in Las Vegas was the largest road win in WNBA history. Reeve wouldn't speculate if Collier would get an MRI in Las Vegas, travel with the team to Seattle, or return home to Minnesota. 'It's just way too early,' Reeve said. 'At this point in time, I don't know exactly what's happening.' ___
San Francisco Chronicle
16 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Kayla McBride hits eight 3-pointers, Lynx roll to WNBA-record 53-point road win against Aces
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kayla McBride led a 3-point barrage, making 8 of 10 from beyond the arc, and the Minnesota Lynx set the WNBA record for the biggest road win, beating the Las Vegas Aces 111-58 on Saturday. McBride made all eight of her 3-point attempts in the first half and the Lynx was 13 for 14 as a team, leading to a 67-33 halftime lead. Minnesota's 53-point win broke the league-record for largest margin of victory on the road, a record set in 1998 by the Houston Comets. Minnesota also set a team record with 17 3-pointers in 27 attempts. McBride missed both of her 3-point attempts in the second half, coming up short of the league-record of nine 3-pointers in a game. She finished with 24 points. Jessica Shepard had 18 points and 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season and second in nine days for the league-best Lynx (24-5). MVP candidate Napheesa Collier scored 18 points but left the game late in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Natisha Hiedeman added 17 points. Jewell Loyd had 12 points and reigning league MVP A'ja Wilson scored 10 for the Aces (14-14). The Lynx hit 4 of 5 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the game to build an 18-8 lead. They went on to hit 6 of 7 from deep and led 35-17 heading to the second quarter. During one stretch, Minnesota made nine consecutive 3s and led 67-33 at halftime. They pushed the lead to 92-49 entering the fourth quarter.
