Cody Bellinger hasn't exactly hit the ground running in his first season with the New York Yankees, hitting .233/.278/.333 with just one extra-base hit through eight games. So it probably wasn't a surprise for Yankees fans to see him out of the lineup ahead of Tuesday's matinee matchup against the Detroit Tigers — especially not with nasty Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal on the mound.
But it turns out that Bellinger's absence has nothing to do with his recent form, or with Skubal. It has to do with something much, much grosser.
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Cody Bellinger out of Yankees lineup vs. Tigers due to food poisoning
Per manager Aaron Boone, Bellinger is currently going through a bout of what the team suspects is food poisoning. The outfielder was "throwing up all night" on Monday, and apparently still isn't feeling better on Tuesday morning. Because none of his teammates are currently sick, New York thinks this is an isolated incident. The culprit? Most likely the wings that Bellinger had for dinner.
Cody Bellinger is out of the #Yankees’ lineup with food poisoning today. He was “throwing up all night,” Aaron Boone said.
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) April 8, 2025
Nobody else on the team is sick to Boone’s knowledge. Sounds like the primary suspect right now is the wings that Bellinger ate last night.
It's not the worst time for this to happen (well, unless you're Bellinger), as his replacement in center field will be the scorching-hot Trent Grisham. But it's still a big blow for a Yankees lineup that has come crashing back to Earth a bit after their historically hot start. Here's how the team will look against Skubal on Tuesday.
Full Yankees lineup vs. Tigers without Cody Bellinger
Player | Position |
|---|---|
Paul Goldschmidt | 1B |
Ben Rice | DH |
Aaron Judge | RF |
Jazz Chisholm Jr. | 2B |
Anthony Volpe | SS |
Austin Wells | C |
Jasson Dominguez | LF |
Trent Grisham | CF |
Oswald Peraza | 3B |
Bellinger will hopefully be back in the lineup for the Yankees on Wednesday afternoon, after those wings have had the chance to pass through his system. At this point, though, we should probably start worrying about what MLB players are eating before they take the field.