Cody Bellinger’s early season with the New York Yankees has taken another unexpected turn—this time courtesy of some questionable chicken wings. But in true Bellinger fashion, he’s not done with them yet.
The outfielder, who already missed part of the weekend series with back tightness, was scratched from Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers after coming down with a suspected case of food poisoning. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Cody Bellinger began feeling sick after Monday’s 6-2 loss at Comerica Park, the first game of the three-game set.
“I think he had some wings, maybe,” Boone said with a shrug when asked about the cause.
Cody Bellinger, who’s hitting .233 with one home run and six RBIs through eight games, was still at the stadium on Tuesday and technically available off the bench. However, he didn’t make an appearance as the Yankees dropped their second straight to Detroit in a 5-0 shutout.
From sore back to sour stomach
It’s been a rough stretch for Cody Bellinger, who missed Friday and Saturday’s games due to back issues. Just as he was expected to be fully healthy again, this latest hiccup kept him off the field once more. Still, Boone didn’t seem overly concerned, calling it a possible 24-hour bug.
What raised more eyebrows, however, was what happened after.
Despite being knocked out of action by the wings, Cody Bellinger wasn’t quite ready to give up on them. On Tuesday afternoon, he posted a now-viral Instagram Story showing himself with another plate of wings, this time captioned simply: “Round 2!”
Yes, Bellinger is apparently trying the wings again.
Fans react: ‘Detroit is poisoning the wings’
The saga quickly spread on social media, and fans had plenty to say—some sympathetic, others amused.
“Dude looks rough,” one user posted alongside a recent photo of Bellinger, while another quipped, “Detroit is poisoning the chicken wings (diabolical). I think we should be packing meals for our boys.”
Plenty of Yankees fans had suggestions of their own. “You gotta order them crispy or else they come undercooked,” one fan warned. “Learned that the hard way.”
Even media accounts got in on the joke, with Talkin’ Basabell reposting Bellinger’s “Round 2” photo, clearly stunned by his resilience—or recklessness.
Some fans, however, were quick to offer well-wishes: “Hope he’s feeling better soon. We need his bat back.”
Yankees offense still cold
With Bellinger out and the rest of the lineup quiet, the Yankees couldn’t get anything going offensively on Tuesday. They managed just four hits in the shutout loss, continuing a slump that began in Game 1 of the series.
Though it’s still early in the season, the Yankees are already testing their depth. If Bellinger can recover quickly—and maybe steer clear of local takeout—the team will need his bat as they look to rebound from a sluggish start in Detroit.
For now, Yankees fans are watching his status closely. And maybe asking one thing: next time, just stick to the team meal.
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