Cody Bellinger Could Return For Upcoming Road Trip
Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (finger) was scheduled to hit and throw at Wrigley Field before Wednesday's series finale against the visiting division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. Manager Craig Counsell said Bellinger could be activated from the 10-day injured list as soon as the team's upcoming road trip, which begins on Friday in Kansas City against the Royals. As long as the 29-year-old doesn't suffer a setback while doing baseball activities this week, he should avoid going on a minor-league rehab assignment and return to the Cubbies this weekend. The Cubs have basically acknowledged that they will be sellers at the July 30 trade deadline, so there's still a chance Bellinger gets dealt now that he's recovered from a fractured left middle finger that has kept him out since mid-July. After bouncing back in his first year in Chicago in 2023, Bellinger hasn't been quite as good in 2024 with a .269/.331/.410 slash line, .742 OPS, nine homers and 37 RBI in 79 games.
Cody Bellinger Takes On-Field Batting Practice Tuesday
Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (finger) took on-field batting practice ahead of Tuesday's game against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers and "had a really good workout" at Wrigley Field, per manager Craig Counsell. The hitting aspect of Bellinger's rehab has gone well, but the outfielder's throwing progression has gone slower. Counsell said that the Cubs could "absolutely" consider bringing Bellinger back as a designated hitter before he gets back at full strength with throwing on his fractured left middle finger. Bellinger resumed hitting in the cage this past weekend, and it sounds like he's on the verge of beginning an abbreviated minor-league rehab assignment or perhaps being activated from the 10-day injured list in the coming days. The 29-year-old star slugger is a trade candidate ahead of next Tuesday's deadline, slashing .269/.331/.410 with nine home runs, 37 RBI, 39 runs scored, and five stolen bases over 344 plate appearances this year.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (finger) did some running ahead of Friday's series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks and will begin introducing more activities to his daily program in the coming days, according to manager Craig Counsell. Bellinger suffered a non-displaced fracture of his middle finger on July 10 and has been recovering on the 10-day injured list since July 11, but he should be able to return to the Cubs sometime either in late July or early August. Once he resumes all baseball activities, the 29-year-old star slugger could then require a brief minor-league rehab assignment before coming off the IL. Before heading to the shelf, Bellinger was slashing .269/.331/.410 with nine home runs, 37 RBI, 39 runs scored, and five stolen bases over 344 plate appearances and needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues.
Cubs Place Cody Bellinger On 10-Day Injured List With Fractured Finger
The Chicago Cubs placed outfielder Cody Bellinger (finger) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a left middle-finger fracture and recalled outfielder Alexander Canario from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Bellinger fractured his finger in Wednesday's contest against the Baltimore Orioles when he was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning, and he'll now most likely miss more than the required 10 days on the IL, extending into the start of the second half of the season after next week's All-Star break. Although the 28-year-old left-handed slugger hasn't been nearly as good as he was in his first year in Chicago in 2023, when he hit 26 homers, drove in 97 and stole 20 bases, he deserves to be stashed in all fantasy leagues. In the meantime, rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong should become a regular in center field for the Cubbies, with Canario providing outfield depth.
Cody Bellinger Lifted After Being Hit By Pitch On Hand
Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (hand) was removed from Wednesday's game against the hosting Baltimore Orioles after being hit in the left hand by a pitch. Miles Mastrobuoni took over in right field in the seventh inning. Bellinger looked to be in a decent amount of discomfort before coming out of the contest, and the Cubs figure to have him head for X-rays to check for any potential fractures in his hand or fingers. Fantasy managers have to stay tuned and hold their breath that the 28-year-old star slugger isn't dealing with a significant injury after he's further evaluated. After going 2-for-3 with his fifth stolen base of the year on Wednesday against Baltimore, Bellinger is now slashing .269/.331/.410 with nine home runs, 37 RBI, and 39 runs scored over 312 at-bats this season. Pete Crow-Armstrong is the next man up on Chicago's depth chart in center field, and he would see a bump in playing time if Bellinger needs to go on the injured list. UPDATE: Bellinger hurt his left middle finger on the hit-by-pitch and felt he couldn't throw a baseball, which is why he was pulled from the game. Manager Craig Counsell said Bellinger is going to get testing on his finger.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger came up clutch in Wednesday's win over the hosting Tampa Bay Rays, blasting his ninth home run of the season. For a Cubs team that was just 5-15 over the last 20 games, Bellinger gave them a lift after crushing a go-ahead three-run homer off Rays left-hander Garrett Cleavinger to right-center field to give the team a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning. The 28-year-old star slugger is starting to look like his 2023 self over the past month or so, hitting .293 with three homers, 15 RBI, 14 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 32 games since returning from the injured list on May 7. Settled in as Chicago's everyday No. 3 batter, Bellinger sports five-category fantasy upside in this formidable lineup.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger was 2-for-4 with a solo home run during Thursday's 6-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. It was Bellinger's first homer since May 10. The 28-year-old has still been productive as of late despite the slight power outage. He is batting .303 over his last 30 games which brings his season slash line to a solid .267/.332/.471. The former MVP has also tallied eight home runs, 26 RBI, 19 runs scored and one stolen base in 2024. Bellinger may not put up the gaudy power stats that he once did, but he is still a quality, top-20 outfielder for fantasy purposes.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger tallied four hits during Friday's win on the road over the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates, totaling nine bases in the victory. Bellinger opened the scoring with a solo home run to right field, crushing a Jared Jones fastball and giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first inning, later doubling twice to add to a monster night. Over his last nine games, the 28-year-old All-Star slugger is hitting a sizzling .417 with five home runs, nine RBI, and eight runs scored. Bellinger gets two more dates with Pittsburgh this weekend, and in 12 games as a member of the Cubs versus the Pirates, he's batting .333 with two homers, eight doubles, and 14 RBI dating back to last season. Continue rolling with Bellinger in fantasy leagues as you normally would.
Cody Bellinger Homers, Collects Three Hits In Return
Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (ribs) went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Bellinger was activated from the injured list on Tuesday after missing the last two weeks with a fractured ribcage. The 28-year-old didn't miss a beat on his return, collecting three hits and blasting a solo shot off Randy Vasquez in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Before landing on the injured list in mid-April, Bellinger was on an eight-game hitting streak entering Tuesday's contest. He extended his hitting streak to nine games and is slashing .382/.447/.794 with four home runs, eight RBI, and six runs during that span. Overall, Bellinger is slashing .250/.337/.489 with six home runs and 11 RBI across 101 plate appearances in 2024. Bellinger appears over his rib injury and should be started in all leagues.
The Chicago Cubs have activated outfielder Cody Bellinger (ribs) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned outfielder Alexander Canario to the minors in a corresponding move. The club also placed pitcher Daniel Palencia (shoulder) on the IL with shoulder stiffness and recalled pitcher Keegan Thompson from the minors. The Cubs haven't posted their starting lineup on Tuesday against the visiting San Diego Padres yet, but if Bellinger is back in there, fantasy managers will want to get him right back in their lineups as well. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger is returning from a fracture in his right ribcage and will start regularly in center field now that he's back. Rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong and Mike Tauchman could now be battling for more playing time with Bellinger back.
