The New York Yankees didn’t exactly come out swinging in Monday’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers. With Comerica Park serving up a side of cold, nasty weather, the Yankees’ offense never found its rhythm.
It was the kind of game where even the crack of the bat sounded muffled, like trying to light a match in a storm.
Now, as Tuesday’s afternoon game rolls around, the Yankees are hoping to flip the script. They’re eyeing redemption against a Tigers squad that’s proven to be no pushover.
But they’ll have to do it short-handed—Cody Bellinger won’t be in the mix.
Bellinger Sidelined by an Unwanted Opponent
Bellinger’s absence this time isn’t due to a pulled muscle or tight hamstring. No, this time he’s facing off against something much less glamorous: food poisoning.
According to Yankees insider Max Goodman, manager Aaron Boone confirmed that Bellinger spent the night in a miserable battle with his stomach, likely caused by a batch of rogue chicken wings.“Throwing up all night,” Boone said of Bellinger’s condition.
And while the wings are currently prime suspects, the rest of the team seems unaffected—for now, at least. It’s a frustrating development for Bellinger, who had just gotten back into the swing of things on Sunday after missing two games with a stiff back.
Like a car finally back on the road only to blow a tire a few miles later, he’s sidelined again—but for very different reasons.
Grisham Gets Another Start
With Bellinger out, the Yankees are turning to Trent Grisham to hold down center field. And if there’s a silver lining, it’s that Grisham has been on a tear lately. He brings a hot bat and solid defense to the lineup, offering the kind of spark the Yankees will need to even the series.
Aaron Judge slides into right field, while the ever-promising Jasson Dominguez takes left.
It’s a patched-up outfield, but one with plenty of firepower. The Yankees are hoping the change of personnel can also shift the momentum.
No one likes to lose a key player—especially to a bout of bad wings—but baseball, like life, has a funny way of throwing curveballs when you least expect it.