Yankees Injury Updates: Cody Bellinger could make rehab start soon; Angel Chivilli lands on IL in Triple-A

Ahead of the Yankees' series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto, manager Aaron Boone provided updates on the injury statuses of three players. Cody Bellinger, who has been on the injured list since late July due to a hamstring strain, may be set for a rehab start next week if his progress continues as expected. The All-Star outfielder has been working on his fielding skills, specifically catching flyballs in left field, in preparation for his potential return.

Bellinger's expected return timeline aligns with that of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, making his recovery a key factor for the Yankees' outfield needs.

Meanwhile, Carlos Rodon had a successful second rehab start on Thursday, pitching 4.1 scoreless innings while striking out seven batters for Double-A Somerset. Boone expressed confidence in Rodon's progress but did not confirm whether the southpaw would be activated next week or given further time to stretch out in the minors. If activated, Rodon could potentially be part of a piggyback arrangement alongside Will Warren.

Right-hander Angel Chivilli was placed on the injured list by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday due to a posterior elbow issue. Chivilli, who had been performing well in the Yankees' bullpen, has a 3.78 ERA in 15 big league appearances. The Yankees signed reliever Justin Topa to a minor league contract on Friday and assigned him to Triple-A, as Topa's pitching statistics with the Twins were not impressive, with an 8.05 ERA and 2.00 WHIP.