by Ellsbury was originally supposed to play against Toronto on Tuesday night and then make the trip to Disney to play the Braves on Wednesday night, but after telling manager Joe Girardi he wasn’t feeling right Tuesday afternoon, the outfielder was scratched from both outings.
Girardi initially termed Ellsbury’s ailment as a “mild” quad strain that he expected to sideline the outfielder for just a couple days; he later amended the diagnosis to a strain of the rectus abdominus muscle, but said that team doctors determined no further tests were necessary and that he still expected Ellsbury to be back Friday.
Less than 24 hours later, however, after Girardi admitted he had no new info and had not spoken to the outfielder, Yankees media relations announced that Ellsbury had undergone an MRI that revealed the oblique strain.
Although a seven-day timetable doesn’t bring Ellsbury back to baseball activity until at least March 25, Girardi said after the Yankees’ win Wednesday night that he’s confident the outfielder will be ready for Opening Day.
“He’s got a mild, mild, mild strain. I think we talked about giving him six, seven days off to see where he’s at,” the skipper said. “I’m not too concerned about it because it’s really mild, but this is the time that we can protect him a little bit and don’t have to rush him back.”
Ellsbury, who is beginning the second season of the seven-year, $153 million deal he signed two winters ago, is hitting .222 (6-for-27) with one RBI this spring.
He’s not the only Yankee dealing with a new injury either, as Girardi also said after the game that LHP Jose De Paula will be sent for an MRI on his left shoulder on Thursday. The southpaw had been dealing with shoulder soreness all week but the MRI was scheduled after he felt discomfort in a new spot following a side session earlier Wednesday.
