Fake Cody Bellinger Instagram story fools Yankees fans after Tuesday illness

The New York Yankees were without Cody Bellinger on Tuesday afternoon in frigid Detroit for reasons entirely unrelated to his recent back stiffness. We think. After all, if the Yankees were trying to cover up an injury, they would've come up with a less mockable response than their public story: Bellinger was in the throes of food poisoning after eating some bad wings, and wasn't exactly in pristine condition.

According to Aaron Boone in the postgame, he eventually reached a point where he could've pinch hit, though ... anyone with food poisoning could tell you that you're never safe, even if you think you are.

Bellinger, ever the daredevil, returned on Wednesday, but not before a phony social media message gave every fan the yips and meatsweats.

Bellinger, according to what purported to be his own Instagram story, went back to the wing well in the wake of disaster, chowing down to enjoy "Round 2!" enthusiastically after Round 1 had wreaked havoc on his gut. Fake Bellinger posted a heaping pile of chicken wings that we can only hope came from a different establishment than the first batch. Thankfully, this was all a hoax.

New York Yankees star Cody Bellinger is swearing off chicken wings for five years, despite what a fake IG post told you.

In truth, Bellinger told Newsday's Erik Boland on Wednesday that he would "not eat wings for five years" after the incident. Was he chowing down on one farewell platter on Tuesday night, though? Who can say for sure? (He wasn't. He was not.)

Let this be a lesson to the Yankees, though: Get it out of your system in April. This city, and this team, is built for October. If you want to test the limits of your own gastronomy, don't do it when the season's on the line. If wings make you sick, enjoy a nice nightly avocado for the next six days. Don't tempt fate. Fate will find you anyway. Devin Williams' relief appearance on Wednesday made us at least half as sick as Bellinger's wings did anyway.

Pride. Power. Poisoning. Pinstripes.