Cubs manager David Ross said Sunday that Bellinger (knee) has resumed workouts and done some "drill work" in the batting cage, MLB.com reports. "He's feeling better every single day slowly, but surely," Ross said of Bellinger. "He's able to do a lot of little things, but not quite the running, yet. Doing some pool work and some things."
Bellinger is working his way back from a left knee contusion, which forced him to the 10-day injured list May 19. Though the outfielder is beginning to make some tangible progress in his recovery, he still looks as though he'll require at least a few more days to heal up before he's ready to resume a running program. The Cubs haven't provided a precise timeline for his return from the IL, but he appears unlikely to be activated at any point during the upcoming week.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Only light activities so far
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Bellinger (knee) had yet to resume baseball activities other than light hitting work as of Tuesday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Bellinger mostly remains in rest and treatment mode after landing on the injured list last Friday, retroactive to last Tuesday, because of a lingering left knee contusion. He is eligible to be activated this weekend, but it sounds like that won't happen. Mike Tauchman is covering center field for the Cubs on Tuesday against the Mets with Christopher Morel filling the DH role.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Heads to IL with bruised knee
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Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to May 16, with a left knee contusion, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Bellinger banged his knee against the outfield wall in Monday's series opener against the Astros and simply wasn't making enough progress. It's not considered a serious injury and he could perhaps be ready for activation when first eligible next Friday. The 27-year-old has a .271/.337/.493 slash line with seven home runs, 20 RBI, nine stolen bases and 29 runs scored through 37 games with the Cubs.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Out again with bruised knee
Rotowire
Bellinger (knee) remains absent from the lineup Wednesday against the Astros.
Bellinger made an early exit from Monday's series opener in Houston due to a bruised left knee, but word from the Cubs is that he should be available off the bench as they wrap up this three-game set at Minute Maid Park. Christopher Morel is starting in center field Wednesday and hitting leadoff.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Out with sore knee Tuesday
Rotowire
Bellinger (knee) is not in the starting lineup Tuesday at Houston.
Bellinger is considered day-to-day after banging his left knee into the outfield wall during Monday's series opener against the Astros. Christopher Morel will cover center field and bat third for the Cubs on Tuesday night.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Viewed as day-to-day
Rotowire
Cubs manager David Ross said after Monday's 6-4 loss to the Astros that Bellinger is considered day-to-day with a sore left knee, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Bellinger banged his knee on the center-field fence of Minute Maid Park in the seventh inning, when he made a leaping catch to rob Kyle Tucker of a potential extra-base hit. According to Bastian, Bellinger described his knee issue as a hyperextension, but he doesn't seem overly concerned about the injury after going through tests and receiving treatment following his departure from the contest. Even so, Bellinger appears likely to miss at least Tuesday's contest, setting the stage for Christopher Morel to pick up a start in center field.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Avoids significant injury
Rotowire
Initial tests on Bellinger's left leg administered after Monday's 6-4 loss to Houston ruled out a serious injury, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Bellinger suffered the injury on a leaping catch at the wall during the seventh inning. He'll be sent for further testing Tuesday to determine his availability over the next few days. Bellinger went 1-for-3 with a run scored before departing.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Suffers injury on diving catch
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Bellinger left Monday's game against the Astros after suffering a left leg injury, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Bellinger made a beautiful diving catch to take a hit away from Kyle Tucker, but he paid the price. Fortunately, Bellinger was able to walk off the field under his own power. Miles Mastrobuoni entered the game in Bellinger's place.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Gets breather against Twins
Rotowire
Bellinger is not in the starting lineup against the Twins on Sunday.
Bellinger will take a seat on the bench to begin Sunday's finale against Minnesota while currently mired in a 1-for-17 slump over his last four games. Christopher Morel is starting in center field and hitting leadoff while Bellinger rests.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: On base three times Sunday
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Bellinger went 2-for-5 with a double, a walk, an RBI, a run scored and two steals in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Marlins.
Bellinger registered his third multi-hit effort of his last six games. His singled and stole a bag in the fourth and then produced a major RBI double and scored in the ninth to send the game to extras at 2-2. Bellinger hasn't homered yet in the month of May, but he already has five steals and is up to nine on the year. The 27-year-old is now slashing .300/.368/.567 with seven homers, 19 RBI, 28 runs and a 12:26 BB:K over 136 plate appearances. He's trimmed his strikeout percentage from 27.3 percent last year to 19.1 percent up this point of the season and is having a noticeable turnaround at the plate.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Productive in defeat
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Bellinger went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Nationals.
Bellinger was the only Chicago player with multiple hits, which raised his season batting average to a robust .299. The outfielder also stole his sixth base of the season. Bellinger has seven home runs this year as well, and at this rate, he could be in line for the first 20-20 campaign of his career.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Pops seventh home run Sunday
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Bellinger went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two total RBI in Sunday's loss to the Marlins.
Bellinger continues his strong start with his new team, as he now has seven home runs, 18 RBI and a .975 OPS across 24 games. The last time he had an OPS of .900 or above, Bellinger was taking home the NL MVP award in 2019. There's a lot of season left before Bellinger can be talked about as a serious MVP candidate in 2023, but he's had a tremendous bounce-back so far.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Triples, scores in return
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Bellinger went 1-for-4 with a triple and a run scored in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Marlins.
Bellinger missed the previous three games while on the paternity list but got right back into the swing of things, delivering his first triple and 19th run of the season in 22 games. Bellinger has been a great addition to the Cubs with his .298/.375/.560 slash line. He should continue to start most days in center field and occupy a spot near the middle of the order.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Back from paternity leave
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Bellinger was activated Friday from the paternity list, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Bellinger missed the Cubs' three-game set against the Padres while welcoming a new addition to his growing family. He will be back in action for Friday night's series opener at Miami as the starting center fielder and No. 6 hitter. The 27-year-old returns to a shiny .300/.380/.550 slash line with five home runs, 15 RBI, four stolen bases and 18 runs scored through 21 games.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Remains on paternity list
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Bellinger remains on the paternity list for Thursday's series finale against the Padres.
Nelson Velazquez will get another start in center field and bat seventh versus the Padres and right-hander Seth Lugo. Bellinger figures to rejoin the Cubs ahead of Friday's series opener in Miami.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Placed on paternity leave
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The Cubs placed Bellinger on the paternity list Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Bellinger will miss Tuesday's series opener against the visiting Padres, but he could perhaps return by the end of the three-game set at Wrigley Field. The 27-year-old is off to a tremendous start with the Cubs this season, boasting a .300/.380/.550 batting line with five home runs, 15 RBI, four stolen bases and 18 runs scored through 21 games. Chicago called up Nelson Velazquez from Triple-A Iowa to add depth to the outfield while Bellinger is away from the team.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Hits another home run
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Bellinger went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in Friday's 13-0 win over the Dodgers.
Bellinger went deep for the second straight game as he continues to torment his former team. In five contests against the Dodgers, he's gone deep three times. Overall, Bellinger is sporting a strong .943 OPS and has five home runs. He's looking more like the 2019 NL MVP than the player who struggled the past few seasons, which is a good sign for fantasy managers.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Goes deep in loss
Rotowire
Bellinger went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the Dodgers.
The Cubs struggled to get much going against six total Los Angeles pitchers, but Bellinger was still able to stay hot at the plate. He now has an .874 OPS and four home runs this season across 18 games. Bellinger has also enjoyed facing his former team, as he's batting .308 against the Dodgers with two long balls in four contests so far.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Perfect day at plate
Rotowire
Bellinger went 5-for-5 with a double and a run scored in the Cubs' 10-1 victory over the Athletics on Monday. He was also caught stealing.
Bellinger has been on a tear lately, going 13-for-28 (.464 average) with eight runs scored and five extra-base hits over the past seven games. For the season, he's sporting an .886 OPS while striking out just nine times (career-low 13.8 percent rate) through 65 plate appearances.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Goes deep, swipes bag
Rotowire
Bellinger went 1-for-4 with a solo homer, a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Dodgers.
Bellinger swiped second base and scored after reaching on an error in the fifth inning. He then blasted a 422-foot solo home run that proved to be the game's deciding run. After an 0-for-11 start to his Cubs career, Bellinger has gone 13-for-42 (.310) with three homers, three steals and a 5:5 BB:K over his last 11 games.
