The New York Yankees offense was already shaky without captain Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. It suffered another blow as Cody Bellinger landed on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain. The Yankees would hope the injury is minor; otherwise, it might affect how their trade deadline plans look. With the August 3 trade deadline just a week away, an MLB insider weighed in on how Bellinger’s injury can determine the Yankees’ trade future.

“They can’t afford to lose him [Cody Bellinger]. So, if it’s a minor injury, he still might go on the injured list,” observed ESPN’s Jesse Rogers on SportsCenter. “If it’s something major, that’s where it would impact the trade deadline. Although I don’t know if the Yankees can fill all the holes if he’s out.”

General manager Brian Cashman has several voids to fill in the Yankees’ roster during the trade deadline. They need a bullpen arm, while their situation at the catcher position needs immediate attention. Furthermore, they also need an impact bat with Judge and Stanton out and without a return timeline.

With Judge out of the lineup since May 31, the Yankees’ run scoring has also taken a hit. Their average runs per game have also decreased to 4.65, dropping the Yankees from fourth to tenth in the league.

While Bellinger is not delivering at the plate as he did in previous seasons, he has come out of the slump after the All-Star break. He has also not hit a homer since June 17, but has been getting hot at the plate. In the last 15 games, Bellinger went 17-for-55, batting .309 with 6 runs and 3 RBI.

The Yankees already require an offensive addition. Defensively, Bellinger has been one of the best left fielders in the league this season. He has saved 19 Defensive Runs so far.

However, if Bellinger is looking at a prolonged injured list stint, then Cashman might have to add an outfielder to his shopping list as well. That, according to Rogers, would be too much for the Yankees to make up for at the trade deadline.

“I don’t think it’s going to impact their trade deadline unless, like I said, he’s out for six to eight weeks,” noted Rogers, per SportsCenter. “But even then, I’m not sure they can fill all those holes.”

Bellinger strained his hamstring while rounding first base on a double in the eighth inning on Saturday. He exited the game, walking slowly once the inning ended. Max Schuemann replaced him for the rest of the match.

Schuemann also started at left field against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. However, the Yankees have called up Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill Bellinger’s roster spot for the time being.

The Yankees will now wait for a diagnosis on Bellinger after he undergoes further testing on Monday.