Aaron Boone and the Yankees are now expecting Jacoby Ellsbury to start the regular season on the DL. Ellsbury has not been able to get enough game time after an oblique injury at the beginning of the month. They do feel he is healthy, he is just not game-ready. He was expected to get some time in today’s game but it seems that Jacoby is sick as well and was held out with flu-like symptoms. With Ellsbury already looking at a backup role in the outfield, the team feels no rush and want the center fielder to be 110% ready when he begins his season. Ellsbury will be a valuable fifth outfielder and late game runner and I’m sure the Yankees want to get some use out of him and that massive contract that has made trading him near impossible. This news is more annoying that upsetting for Yankees’ fans. If we’re going to be paying Ellsbury all this money to sit on the bench I at least want him to be in uniform. He still has the potential to be a good ball player. He is just no longer worth as much as he’s being paid, especially in an outfield that has no space for him. I would much rather move him for some other pieces but if he’s going to be around I at least want him to be available for late game defensive and running situations as this is where he can be most valuable. I think the Yanks are smart for playing this slow. They don’t need him right out of the gate but I’m sure they will at some point this season and you want a productive version of Ellsbury, not a hobbled one. It’s more about September and October for this team, not April.
