Yankees activate OF Cody Bellinger after 25-game absence with strained left hamstring

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees activated Cody Bellinger from the injured list Sunday after the outfielder missed 25 games with a strained left hamstring.

Bellinger batted fourth and started in left field for his first game since July 25 in Philadelphia. Bellinger suffered a Grade 2 strain after running the bases following a double and the Yankees said he would miss four to six weeks.

“Very excited,” manager Aaron Boone said before the finale of a three-game series with Toronto. “He’s had a pretty good rehab process here and he’s got tested well enough the last two nights and obviously been able to get a handful of at-bats here. So I feel like he’s ready to roll and excited to get him back.”

Bellinger is hitting .259 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs in 102 games this season. He batted .228 in New York’s first month after losing Aaron Judge to a stress fracture in his right rib but was hitting .372 in 12 games before getting injured, though he entered Sunday with a 31-game homerless streak — the second-longest of his career.

After batting .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs last season, Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees last winter for $162.5 million over five years and was the MVP of the All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia.

The Yankees went 14-11 in Bellinger’s absence and began Sunday three games behind the Rays in the AL East. New acquisition Heliot Ramos started 15 games in Bellinger’s absence and will likely see time in right field when the Yankees are facing a left-handed starter.

To make room for Bellinger, Max Schuemann was optioned back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. Schuemann is hitting .194 in 42 games for the Yankees and was recalled Friday when Ryan McMahon went on the IL with a sprained left thumb.

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