Any positive news surrounding New York Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is big news these days, and after his latest injury, there has been nothing but negativity.
Ellsbury was on track to finally earn playing time in 2019 before he went down with plantar fasciitis. The foot ailment makes it hard to run as needle-like pains shoot through the arch of the foot. Several weeks of recovery time have awarded Ellsbury with the ability to run, making his return realistic early on in the season and avoiding the injury list.
It’s yet to be seen if the Yankees will bring him to Tampa to participate in spring training or if they will elect to hold him out until the regular season. Ellsbury hasn’t played in a game since 2017, which will require him to shake off the rust before returning to the starting team.
One positive can be extracted for the Yankees:
However, if the outfielder is placed on the injury list and doesn’t play in the season ahead the Yankees can recoup some of his salary through insurance.
In 2017, Ellsbury batted .264 with seven homers and 39 RBIs. There’s no question that his production has fallen off significantly since his last quality season in 2014. The Yankees signed him to replicate his production in Boston where he was one of the best players in baseball.
Moving forward, all we can hope for is Jacoby to offer some value as a rotational/reserve piece, as it seems his starting days are long gone. Consistent injuries have knocked him back in recent years, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.