Examining Which Yankee Should be Replaced When Cody Bellinger Returns

The New York Yankees are primed to get a significant reinforcement in the near future.

Cody Bellinger, who has been on the injured list since July 26 (left hamstring strain), is officially starting a rehab assignment and could return to the Bronx Bombers as soon as Sunday. Given the Yankees' offensive struggles, getting Bellinger back into the lineup should make a much-needed impact.

Aaron Boone says Cody Bellinger will play in a rehab game tomorrow and could be back on the team as soon as Sunday pic.twitter.com/6tLaC3iBPq
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 19, 2026

However, the Yankees will need to free up a spot on the 26-man active roster when activating Bellinger; rosters will not expand until September 1, and Bellinger is on track to return well before then. His importance to the team also means that he will immediately reclaim a starting outfield spot.

The Yankees have three outfielders on the active roster: Heliot Ramos, Trent Grisham, and Spencer Jones. Jones is a left-handed hitter with multiple minor league options remaining, so on the surface, he'd seem like the obvious choice to be sent down to Triple-A.

But there is a more obvious choice for Bellinger to replace instead of Jones: Amed Rosario.

Why the Yankees should stick with Spencer Jones over Amed Rosario

The Yankees should designate Amed Rosario for assignment instead of sending down Spencer Jones. — Jul 31, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Amed Rosario (14) hits solo home-run during the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rosario, a utility player meant to hit against left-handed pitching, is already on thin ice due to his ineffective play. He's only played in six games since the August 3 trade deadline and is hitless with a walk in his last nine plate appearances. The 30-year-old is hitting just .193 against southpaws (the pitchers he's supposed to be hitting against), is nearly unplayable in the field, and has registered -0.3 fWAR in 73 games.

Rosario went down swinging pic.twitter.com/WqWY5BtYSS
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 19, 2026

The addition of Heliot Ramos at the deadline, alongside the presence of Paul Goldschmidt on the bench, means that there's no lanes for Rosario to play either.

But what about Jones? The 25-year-old has also struggled offensively in his first taste of the big leagues, hitting just .212 with a .674 OPS and striking out 61 times in 163 plate appearances.

As we previously mentioned, he also has three minor league options, so the Yankees could send him down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make sure he gets consistent playing time and continues to develop.

Yet having Jones on the big league roster, even in a somewhat limited role, would be more beneficial to the Yankees than keeping Rosario around. Jones is faring surprisingly well against lefties, going 9-for-26 (.346) against them in stark contrast to the .183 batting average he has against righties. Additionally, while defensive metrics haven't been kind to Jones thus far, he's still significantly better in the field than Rosario.

SPENCER JONES GAME-TYING DOUBLE! pic.twitter.com/1oI3oRjnah
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 13, 2026

Furthermore, the Yankees would have four outfielders on the active roster (including Jones) when Bellinger comes back. Considering that one of Ramos, Grisham, and Bellinger may not play every single day, Jones can fill in for at least one of them on any given day.

Compare that to Rosario, who has to compete with six other infielders and the aforementioned four outfielders to get any playing time, outside of pinch-hitting.

In the end, the Yankees are better off cutting ties with a player who brings absolutely no value to them than using up what could be a valuable option for a top prospect.

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