<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-cody-bellinger-back-injury-concern-pirates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ Cody Bellinger ‘feeling better’ amid back injury concern');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cody-Bellinger-steps-to-the-plate-against-Diamondbacks.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Yankees’ Cody Bellinger ‘feeling better’ amid back injury concern</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-05T12:27:12-07:00">April 5th, 12:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-05T12:27:12-07:00">April 5th, 12:27pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New York Yankees star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/yankees-news-why-cody-bellinger-not-playing-vs-pirates">Cody Bellinger did not play on Friday</a> against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to back stiffness. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com recently <a href="https://x.com/BryanHoch/status/1908572158390862318" rel="noopener">provided an update</a> from Bellinger as the Yankees prepare for the second game of the series against the Pirates on Saturday.</p><p>“Cody Bellinger (lower back) took swings in the batting cage and said he is feeling better. Thinks he could be available off the bench today, and the lineup tomorrow is a possibility,” Hoch wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Barring any unforeseen setbacks, it seems as if Bellinger’s back injury concern is not considered to be serious. It will still be a situation to monitor, of course. Bellinger may be available to pinch hit if necessary on Saturday. He also could return to the lineup for Sunday’s game.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/mistrettas-musings-yankees-cody-bellinger-aaron-judge-2025-al-mvp">Bellinger started the season strong</a> with the Yankees. The 29-year-old, who was traded from the Chicago Cubs to New York this past offseason, has cooled off in recent action. Overall, he is slashing .238/.296/.381/.677 across six games played.</p><p>If Bellinger can return and stay healthy, he should have a chance to enjoy a big season in New York. Opposing pitchers have to focus on Aaron Judge which could lead to good pitches to hit for Bellinger and other batters in the lineup.</p><p>For now, Aaron Judge and the Yankees will try to defeat the Pirates once again despite Cody Bellinger’s injury absence. New York earned a 9-4 victory against the Pirates on Friday, as Judge crushed his sixth home run in just seven games.</p><p>The Yankees are in first place in the American League East with a 5-2 record. The ball club appears to be poised to make another run at a division title.</p><p>First pitch for the upcoming Yankees-Pirates game is scheduled for 4:05 PM EST on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees’ Cody Bellinger ‘feeling better’ amid back injury concern

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-why-cody-bellinger-not-playing-vs-pirates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Yankees’ Cody Bellinger isn’t playing vs. Pirates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cody-Bellinger-of-the-New-York-Yankees.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Yankees’ Cody Bellinger isn’t playing vs. Pirates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T12:52:14-07:00">April 4th, 12:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T12:52:14-07:00">April 4th, 12:52pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-aaron-boone-gushes-over-aaron-judge-amid-stars-bonkers-start">Yankees aim to improve their record</a> on Friday when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Unfortunately, the team will be without Cody Bellinger in this contest after manager Aaron Boone scratched him from the lineup.</p><p>What was originally thought to be a rest day, reports indicate that the 29-year-old outfielder is not playing against the Pirates <a href="https://x.com/BryanHoch/status/1908218388674941169" rel="noopener">after experiencing back stiffness</a>, according to team reporter Bryan Hoch. Boone claims Bellinger’s back was bothering him in Thursday night’s game and the team doesn’t want to force him to play through it.</p><p>“Cody Bellinger is out of the Yankees lineup today due to a stiff back. Aaron Boone said it was bothering him during last night’s game and they didn’t want to push it with their early-morning arrival.”</p><p>Trent Grisham will step in and play center field for the Yankees on Friday instead. This will give Cody Bellinger a chance to nurture his back and possibly bounce back on Saturday or Sunday to wrap up the three-game series against the Pirates.</p><p>The 2023 Comeback Player of the Year is in his first season with the Yankees after playing the previous two years with the Chicago Cubs. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/cody-bellinger-trade-grades-yankees-cubs">New York traded for Cody Bellinger</a> in the offseason in an attempt to improve the lineup after failing to re-sign Juan Soto.</p><p>Through six games played, Bellinger has had 27 plate appearances and has played relatively well so far. He’s currently recording a .238 batting average and a .268 OBP while hitting a home run and six RBIs. New York hopes he’ll be able to bounce back from this injury and get back in the lineup sooner, rather than later.</p><p>Cody Bellinger has been at the center of controversy this season after being one of the few players on the Yankees roster using the controversial torpedo bats. Although he hasn’t hit as many home runs as some of his teammates, they should start coming along as the season progresses.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Yankees’ Cody Bellinger isn’t playing vs. Pirates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/mistrettas-musings-yankees-cody-bellinger-aaron-judge-2025-al-mvp');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mistretta’s Musings: Yankees’ Cody Bellinger will challenge Aaron Judge for 2025 AL MVP');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Why-Yankees-Cody-Bellinger-will-challenge-Aaron-Judge-for-2025-AL-MVP.jpg"></figure><h1>Mistretta’s Musings: Yankees’ Cody Bellinger will challenge Aaron Judge for 2025 AL MVP</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T07:24:54-07:00">March 31st, 7:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T07:24:54-07:00">March 31st, 7:24am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Hello MLB and New York Yankees fans! Welcome to the latest edition of Mistretta’s Musings. Yankees fans, before making me public enemy No. 1 for even suggesting that someone can challenge Aaron Judge for the 2025 American League MVP Award, the fact that a Yankees player is being selected for this honor is a positive for the team. As for MLB fans who are probably thinking I am overreacting to a strong first series, well, let’s take a deep dive into why Cody Bellinger is poised for a huge ’25 campaign in New York.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/yankees-news-aaron-judge-wins-2nd-al-mvp-award-dominant-season">Judge earned the 2024 American League MVP Award</a>. In all reality, Judge will make another MVP run in 2025 as long as he can stay healthy. We aren’t here to question Judge’s MVP chances, rather, we are simply discussing how Bellinger is the perfect fit with the Yankees.</p><p>Baseball fans are probably taking to social media right now to scream the following in all capital letters: “WHAT ABOUT BOBBY WITT JR.?”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/yankees-news-aaron-judge-al-mvp-repeat-bobby-witt-jr-poll">Witt can certainly make an MVP run</a> as well. He was a popular preseason AL MVP pick. The Kansas City Royals shortstop has become one of the best players in the sport.</p><p>How can Bellinger join Judge and Witt in the AL MVP voting?</p><h2><b>Cody Bellinger is the perfect fit with Yankees</b></h2><p>My Bellinger MVP consideration prediction isn’t strictly an overreaction to his scorching hot first series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Sure, his .400/.357/.700/1.057 slash line is intriguing, but it has only been three games.</p><p>It seems as if Bellinger is going to hit second in front of Judge, something that will lead to a quality dose of good pitches to crush. Bellinger is going to see some of the best pitches to hit in his career batting in front of the reigning AL MVP. There isn’t a pitcher in baseball who wants to risk walking Bellinger and putting a runner on base with Judge waiting in the on-deck circle.</p><p>Bellinger, a former MVP himself (2019), also offers speed and defense, two things the Yankees have desperately needed in past seasons. No, he isn’t going to win a stolen base title, but Bellinger has swiped 14 or more bases in four separate years during his career. The Yankees may want him to try to steal more bases in an effort to consistently get into scoring position.</p><p>Meanwhile, Bellinger can play any outfield position (as well as first base if necessary). If he continues to play left field, he could receive Gold Glove consideration. The 29-year-old has won a Gold Glove before, accomplishing the feat in 2019.</p><h2><b>Bellinger’s potential MVP case</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Cody-Bellinger-hits-an-RBI-single.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Being a good fit with a team and earning MVP votes do not always go together. In this scenario, however, they very well could.</p><p>It goes without saying, but Bellinger will need to stay healthy in order to earn serious consideration for the award. If he can stay healthy, Bellinger’s ceiling remains high. He isn’t even 30 years old and features the potential of an MVP.</p><p>Say Bellinger appears in 140 games. Hitting in front of Judge — not to mention the short right field fence at Yankee Stadium — Bellinger can realistically hit 30-35 home runs. He also hit over .300 as recently as 2023, when he recorded a .307 batting average to go along with an .881 OPS with the Chicago Cubs.</p><p>If Cody Bellinger is able to hit around .300 with an OPS around .900 while slugging 30-35 home runs he will earn some MVP votes. However, if Bellinger can impact the game in multiple ways — stealing 15-20 bases while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense — his MVP chances will become even more interesting.</p><p>In the end, Aaron Judge or Bobby Witt Jr. will probably take home AL MVP honors. The possibility of Cody Bellinger finishing as an AL MVP finalist alongside Judge and Witt should not be ruled out, though. And if Bellinger does enjoy an MVP-caliber campaign, one has to imagine the Yankees will find themselves in contention to win another American League East division title.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mistretta’s Musings: Yankees’ Cody Bellinger will challenge Aaron Judge for 2025 AL MVP

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/baltimore-orioles/orioles-news-orioles-trade-for-cubs-pitcher-acquired-cody-bellinger-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Orioles trade for Cubs pitcher acquired in Cody Bellinger deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Orioles-news-Baltimore-trades-for-Cubs-pitcher-acquired-in-Cody-Bellinger-deal.jpg"></figure><h1>Orioles trade for Cubs pitcher acquired in Cody Bellinger deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T21:32:03-07:00">March 29th, 9:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T21:32:03-07:00">March 29th, 9:32pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Orioles</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/orioles-news-orioles-ink-2021-all-star-pitcher-1-year-deal">Baltimore Orioles added pitching depth</a> on Saturday, acquiring right-hander Cody Poteet from the Chicago Cubs <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1906083530012229704" rel="noopener">in exchange for cash considerations</a>. The 30-year-old was designated for assignment by the Cubs just days earlier to make room for Brad Keller on the 40-man roster. Poteet will report to Triple-A Norfolk, and the Orioles’ 40-man roster now stands at 39.</p><p>Though a low-profile transaction, the trade adds meaningful depth to an Orioles pitching staff currently dealing with a string of injuries. Baltimore is without Grayson Rodriguez, Trevor Rogers, Chayce McDermott, Kyle Bradish, and Tyler Wells—all key rotation arms—making Poteet a timely addition.</p><p>Originally a fourth-round pick by the Marlins in 2015, Poteet debuted with Miami in 2021. His initial stint in the majors as a starter was uneven, producing a 4.99 ERA over seven starts. But in a swingman role in 2022, he improved, posting a 3.86 ERA in 28 innings across 12 appearances before undergoing Tommy John surgery late that year.</p><p>After missing most of 2023 while rehabbing, Poteet signed with the Yankees and quietly impressed in limited duty. He logged a 2.22 ERA over 24 1/3 innings in 2024, and a 3.40 ERA in 13 Triple-A starts, flashing promise as a depth piece.</p><h2><b>Orioles continue to add depth as the 2025 season is in full swing</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Cody-Poteet.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In December, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-next-big-move-must-make-with-money-freed-up-from-cody-bellinger-trade">Poteet was part of the trade that sent Cody Bellinger to the Yankees</a>. That deal, largely seen as a salary dump by the Cubs, brought Poteet to Chicago while clearing Bellinger’s contract from their books. The Cubs had reshaped their outfield with Kyle Tucker and rising star Pete Crow-Armstrong, making Bellinger expendable.</p><p>However, Poteet never got a chance to contribute in Chicago. With the Cubs’ rotation depth and the return of Javier Assad looming, the club opted to DFA Poteet before Opening Day. Now, just a few months after being acquired, he’s on the move again.</p><p>For the Orioles, this is a low-risk, high-upside move. Poteet offers flexibility as an optionable arm who can serve in either a starting or long-relief role. While the Orioles’ current rotation—featuring Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Dean Kremer, and Cade Povich—remains intact, injuries have thinned their depth considerably. Poteet could step in if another starter goes down or slot into the bullpen in a multi-inning role.</p><p>Veteran swingman Albert Suarez is currently the next man up, but Poteet gives manager Brandon Hyde another layer of protection—something every contender needs during a 162-game grind.</p><p>From Chicago’s side, the move raises familiar frustrations among fans. The Cubs offloaded a productive player in Bellinger for financial flexibility but haven’t reinvested that savings into the roster. “So, all in all, Chicago traded away their productive outfielder for money,” Jesse Rogers of ESPN noted, pointing out that the return essentially amounted to cash—and little else.</p><p>Unless the Cubs turn around and make aggressive upgrades at the trade deadline, the optics of this series of moves will continue to draw criticism. For now, the Orioles get a versatile arm, and Poteet gets his third team in four months—hoping this stop might offer some stability.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Orioles trade for Cubs pitcher acquired in Cody Bellinger deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-cody-bellinger-drops-best-admission-aaron-judge-3-hr-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ Cody Bellinger drops ‘best’ admission on Aaron Judge after 3-HR game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Yankees-news-Cody-Bellinger-drops-best-admission-on-Aaron-Judge-after-3-HR-game.jpg"></figure><h1>Yankees’ Cody Bellinger drops ‘best’ admission on Aaron Judge after 3-HR game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T16:46:10-07:00">March 29th, 4:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T16:46:10-07:00">March 29th, 4:46pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-bonkers-hr-history-vs-brewers">Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees absolutely teed off on the Milwaukee Brewers </a>on Saturday. Thanks in large part to their incredible offensive night, the Bronx Bombers scored their second win in a row to start the 2025 MLB campaign, as they crushed the Brewers in a 20-9 victory at Yankee Stadium.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-boones-hilarious-reggie-jackson-reason-after-yankees-epic-4-hr-first-inning">Paul Goldschmidt started the home run party for New York</a> with a 413-foot blast in the first inning followed by a Cody Bellinger homer. Judge and Austin Wells added a home run each in the same inning to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead entering the second frame.</p><p>New York didn’t look back after that, as they hit five more home runs the rest of the way, including two home from Judge, whose grand slam in the third inning gave New York an eye-popping nine-run cushion.</p><p>Judge finished the contest 4-for-6 with three home runs and eight RBIs — a career high. The two-time American League Most Valuable Player also <a href="https://x.com/GaryHPhillips/status/1906097773608316941" rel="noopener">earned a flattering message</a> from Bellinger, who wasn’t too shabby either against the Brewers. Bellinger went 3-for-5, including a home run, and four RBIs.</p><p>“To see it with your own eyes, it’s special,” Bellinger said following the game (h/t Gary Phillips of The New York Daily News). He’s the best in the game.”</p><p>Judge even nearly became just the 19th player in the history of the big leagues to hit four home runs in a game, as the ball he hit in the sixth inning got <a href="https://x.com/TalkinYanks/status/1906074949422358703" rel="noopener">caught near the warning tracks</a> by Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers.</p><p>Reliever Yoendrys Gomez got the win for the Yankees, as he was among the biggest beneficiaries of his team’s explosion at the plate. Max Fried started for New York but pitched for only 4.2 innings after giving up two earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/brewers-news-nestor-cortes-shuns-reporters-yankees-light-up">former Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes took the pitching loss</a> for the Brewers, as he got clobbered by New York in his only two innings of duty on the mound.</p><p>Judge and the Yankees will look to complete a sweep of Brewers in this three-game series this Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

YEAR	TEAM	GP	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2025	BAL	3	3	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	.000	.200	.000	.200
2025	BAL	18	43	6	9	2	0	1	6	8	13	1	.209	.346	.326	.672
2024	BAL	18	49	7	13	1	0	0	3	1	12	0	.265	.294	.286	.580
2024	BAL	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
2024	BAL	39	99	8	25	2	0	4	14	8	33	1	.253	.351	.394	.745
2023	BAL	13	30	3	7	1	0	2	3	2	10	0	.233	.281	.467	.748
2023	BAL	23	42	12	16	4	1	4	9	2	11	0	.381	.409	.810	.219

YEAR	TEAM	GP	GS	PO	A	E	FPCT
2025	BAL	2	1	1	1	0	.000
2025	BAL	15	11	11	0	0	.000
2024	BAL	16	12	15	1	1	.941
2024	BAL	1	0	1	0	0	.000
2024	BAL	19	16	34	0	0	.000
2023	BAL	4	2	4	0	0	.000
2023	BAL	19	3	10	0	0	.000

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Kjerstad stats

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Heston Kjerstad stats

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Heston
Kjerstad stats