Yankees news enthusiasts were holding their breath just a few hours ago when much-hyped free agent signing Jacoby Ellsbury was a no-show for batting practice before today's New York Yankees / Boston Red Sox tilt.
It's okay to exhale now, Yankees fans.
Despite recent bouts of tightness in the Yankees center fielder's right calf, NY Yankees manager Joe Girardi's says Ellsbury's disappearing act today was merely a preemptive safety measure facilitated by the Yankees themselves--
“It was a typical precautionary MRI to make sure there wasn’t something there and it came back negative,” Girardi said at the Boston Red Sox' Spring Traing complex in Fort Myers, Florida.
Many detractors around Major League Baseball have tagged Jacoby Ellsbury as injury-prone, raising an eyebrow over the gaudy seven-year, $153 million contract the former Boston Red Sox standout signed with the Yankees this winter.
Joe Girardi is conscious of the weight such labels can place on a player, and he seems to believe that Ellsbury is too--“I think he feels it a little bit...That’s why we’re just being cautious. We just want to make sure he’s healthy.”
The Yankees skipper says the best case scenario for Ellsbury, who is just 4-for-23 this spring with five walks, is that he will be back this weekend--if not, then Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies seems like the most logical backup plan.
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