New York Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has been struck by the injury bug yet again after missing all of 2018.
New York Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is injured yet again and will not report to Spring Training until March. Manager Aaron Boone broke this news during his press conference on Wednesday. This time, the veteran is dealing with plantar fasciitis.
Aaron Boone said that Jacoby Ellsbury will not be in #Yankees camp until March. He will remain in Arizona (plantar fasciitis).
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 13, 2019
Ellsbury turned 35 last September and missed all of 2018 with a torn hip labrum. Prior to that injury, he showed up to Spring Training with a strained oblique. Add this new issue to the laundry list of injuries Ellsbury has dealt with since signing a seven-year, $153 million deal prior to 2014.
That said, what’s next for Jacoby Ellsbury? He’s making $21.1 million this year and the next, but there’s no spot for him in the lineup. Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, and Aaron Judge likely have the three starting spots nailed down. Clint Frazier is also competing for a roster spot and appears over the concussion issues which hampered him in 2018. Giancarlo Stanton, though the starting DH, can also make some spot starts in the outfield if needed.
That leaves Ellsbury on the outside looking in once again, and it looks like the Yankees are finally starting the divorce process. As manager Aaron Boone said at Wednesday’s presser, Ellsbury will remain at his home in Arizona for the time being. Position players report to Tampa next week, so why not have him work further with the training staff?
One way or another, $21.1 million is a lot of money to keep on the books for someone without a clear role on the team. If this doesn’t signal the beginning of the end of Jacoby Ellsbury’s Yankees tenure, then what does?
