CODY BELLINGER IS CLOSE. FOR THE YANKEES, THAT MAY FEEL LIKE A TRADE DEADLINE ADDITION.

NEW YORK — The Yankees have spent enough of this summer talking about who is unavailable.

Aaron Judge has been injured.

Giancarlo Stanton has been injured.

Cody Bellinger joined them in late July.

Now, finally, one of those conversations is moving in the opposite direction.

Bellinger is close to returning.

Manager Aaron Boone said recently that the All-Star outfielder has progressed well from the Grade 2 left hamstring strain that has kept him out since July 26. The next step is a Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

If everything goes according to plan, Bellinger could be activated next weekend.

That would be significant for a Yankees team that has spent weeks adjusting its outfield, lineup construction and defensive alignment around injuries.

Bellinger was not merely another regular when he went down.

He had appeared in 102 of New York’s first 104 games.

He was batting .259 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs and 55 walks.

And only days before the hamstring injury, Bellinger had been one of the biggest stories of baseball’s midsummer showcase.

He was named MVP of the 2026 All-Star Game after delivering a two-run single that helped the American League to a 4–0 victory.

Then came July 25.

Bellinger injured the hamstring while rounding first base during a win over Philadelphia. He initially remained in the game but was later seen limping.

The diagnosis followed.

Grade 2 strain.

Four to six weeks.

The Yankees placed him on the injured list and recalled Spencer Jones from Triple-A.

That timeline immediately created uncertainty.

Hamstring injuries are especially difficult for players like Bellinger because his value is not limited to the batter’s box.

He runs.

He covers significant ground defensively.

He moves between outfield spots.

He has to accelerate, stop and change direction.

A player can feel comfortable swinging long before he feels comfortable running at full speed.

That is why the rehab games matter.

New York does not need Bellinger to collect four hits in Scranton.

The organization needs to see him run the bases without hesitation.

It needs to see him react in the outfield.

It needs to know that if a ball drops into the gap, Bellinger will chase it instinctively rather than thinking about his hamstring.

That is the real test.

And there have been encouraging signs.

Earlier this month, Bellinger resumed outdoor batting practice and continued progressing through running and lateral movement. Boone later described him as “getting close.”

That language matters in August.

Because when a contender gets an everyday outfielder back without making a trade, it can feel like an acquisition anyway.

Bellinger brings balance.

He gives Boone another left-handed bat.

He adds defensive flexibility.

He lengthens a lineup that has spent too many stretches trying to compensate for missing stars.

And unlike a Trade Deadline addition, there is no adjustment period.

Bellinger already knows the clubhouse.

He already knows the role.

He already knows what Yankee Stadium feels like in a pennant race.

His return would also remove some pressure from the younger players who have been asked to cover innings while New York waits.

That matters.

Young talent can help a contender.

It should not always have to carry one.

Bellinger is 31 and has already experienced almost every version of October baseball.

He has been an MVP.

He has been a World Series champion.

He has been a star, a struggling hitter and a player who rebuilt his career.

That experience has value when August turns into September.

There is still caution required.

A rehab schedule is not a guaranteed activation date.

Hamstrings can tighten.

Players can experience discomfort when game intensity replaces controlled workouts.

The Yankees will not benefit from getting Bellinger back three days early if that decision costs them another month.

But the direction is finally encouraging.

For weeks, New York has been waiting.

Now Bellinger is preparing to play real games again.

Tuesday.

Thursday.

Then, perhaps, the Bronx.

For a Yankees lineup that has spent much of the summer asking who can fill the next hole, that possibility feels considerably larger than two Minor League box scores.

Cody Bellinger is not back yet.

But for the first time since July, the return feels close enough to circle.