Cody Bellinger gets first game of doubleheader off

Bellinger gets a rare break after launching a two-run homer during Tuesday’s loss to the Rays. It’ll be José Caballero taking over in left field with Tampa Bay rolling out a bullpen game.

Bellinger homered off Nick Martinez after Ben Rice doubled to begin the fourth inning. Those were two of just the eight hits for either team in the game and the only ones to go for extra bases. Bellinger has 17 homers in 129 games on the season.

Bellinger’s home run was his 16th of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Bailey Ober in the first inning. Bellinger has found his power stroke with four home runs over his last seven games. He’s hitting .272 with a .790 OPS and 71 RBI.

Heliot Ramos gets the nod in right field after Judge crushed his first home run since returning from the injured list, a three-run shot off Twins lefty reliever A.J. Minter, during Monday’s series opener at Target Field. The Yankees have been extremely cautious with his workload following a three-month absence recovering from a fracture in his ribs. The 34-year-old fantasy superstar figures to return for Wednesday’s series finale.

Bellinger has three homers in four games. He’s batting .381/.372/.667 with 10 RBI in 10 games this month.

Ramos came in to play defense for Aaron Judge in the seventh inning before he hit a clutch three-run home run to put the Yankees up 5-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning. The home run was his 11th of the season. He’s hit two home runs in 25 games with the Yankees since New York acquired him before the trade deadline. Ramos is hitting.243 with a .705 OPS and 41 RBI.

Ramos’ playing time against right-handers has been squeezed since Cody Bellinger returned from the injured list, but he hit third or fourth in all three games against a lefty in this weekend’s series with Boston. The former Giant has struggled with his new team, but he hit his first homer as a Yankee in a five-run fifth inning on Sunday. There was a controversial call on a ball that Ceddanne Rafaela appeared to catch, but the center fielder was ruled to have “trapped” it instead. A two-RBI hit from Paul Goldschmidt followed, before Ramos connected for a three-run homer off Ranger Suarez.

Bellinger will get a breather in the second game of Saturday’s twin bill with left-hander Alec Gamboa starting on the mound for the Red Sox. Spencer Jones will draw a start in his place in left field and will bat seventh for the Bombers.

No surprises here with rookie lefty Jake Bennett toeing the rubber for the opening contest of Saturday’s twin bill at Yankee Stadium. It’ll be Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario getting a look at first and second base, respectively, with Heliot Ramos getting into the lineup in right field.

Heliot Ramos, meanwhile, is making his first start in six days against Red Sox left-hander Patrick Sandoval. With Cody Bellinger back, it looks like Jones and Ramos could be in a straight platoon for now, though Jones could maybe start over Trent Grisham against some lefties. Jones actually has a 1.079 OPS in 34 plate appearances in lefty-lefty matchups. He has a .648 OPS in 155 plate appearances against righties.