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Bellinger (back) completed a live batting practice session without issue Wednesday and is scheduled to return to the Yankees' Grapefruit League lineup Thursday against the Twins, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
Bellinger appeared in three spring games before he experienced some back discomfort, which prompted the Yankees to hold him out of action for about a week. He was never shut down from activity, however, and after checking out fine following Wednesday's workout, Bellinger should at least be able to serve as a designated hitter Thursday.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Bellinger (back) has showed improvement, and the plan is for the outfielder to take live batting practice Tuesday before potentially rejoining the Grapefruit League lineup Thursday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Bellinger sustained a back injury Saturday and was initially expected to return to game action Tuesday, but he'll instead get a couple extra days to rest up. The 30-year-old still has plenty of time to get back to 100 percent prior to Opening Day.
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Yankees' Cody Bellinger: Battling back injury
Rotowire
Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Bellinger's back "went out on him a little bit," Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.
Boone added that Bellinger is expected to sit out the Yankees' next few Grapefruit League games before returning Tuesday, so it doesn't sound like an issue that will impact his Opening Day status. The 30-year-old outfielder is 4-for-9 with an RBI and a run scored through his first three exhibition matches.
Yankees' Cody Bellinger: Back with Yankees on five-year deal
Rotowire
The Yankees re-signed Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million contract Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
There are opt-outs after the second and third years of the contract, and Bellinger also received a $20 million signing bonus along with a full no-trade clause. Re-signing Bellinger has been the Yankees' biggest offseason priority, and they have finally got a deal across the finish line after months of negotiations. It's the best-case scenario for the fantasy value of Bellinger, whose swing is tailor made for Yankee Stadium. The 30-year-old slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs, 98 RBI and 13 stolen bases over 152 regular-season games in 2025, which included a .302/.365/.544 batting line and 18 long balls at home. With Bellinger sticking around as the Yankees' primary left fielder, Jasson Dominguez is now without a clear spot in the everyday lineup.
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