The fact Jacoby Ellsbury delivered a pinch-hit, bloop double in the ninth inning Sunday against the Blue Jays doesn’t mean he is a lock to be in the starting lineup Tuesday night against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
Ellsbury was scheduled for an MRI exam Sunday night and a treatment appointment at the Stadium Monday. The Yankees are concerned the sprained left ankle isn’t ready for the pounding of playing center field and running the bases Ellsbury would put on it during a nine-inning game.
Ellsbury suffered the injury Friday night on a slide into home when his ankle collided with Blue Jays catcher Dioner Navarro. He remained in the game for the final three outs.
After a fluoroscope test Friday night showed no structural damage, Ellsbury didn’t play Saturday. Following batting practice Sunday, Ellsbury failed to talk his way into Joe Girardi’s lineup but was able to pinch hit in the ninth inning, hitting a double. Ichiro Suzuki ran for Ellsbury.
“We are still concerned about some of the things, starting and stopping and maybe sliding and maybe jamming it again,’’ Girardi said of the Yankees’ hottest hitter. “We will see how he is on Tuesday.’’
Ellsbury is on a 21-for-45 (.467) streak that includes him going 11-for-26 (.423) in the six games since becoming the leadoff hitter.
With the Red Sox starting three right-handers it’s possible Derek Jeter surfaces as the DH or doesn’t start one of the three games.
The last three times Jeter wasn’t in the lineup came against right-handers. The last three times he was the DH was versus righties.
Jeter is in an 8-for-44 (.182) slide and had four extra bases hits (three doubles/homer) in August.
Outfielder Chris Young was pulled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s game against Lehigh Valley Monday, an indication the former Met will join the Yankees Tuesday after the 25-man roster was increased Monday.
Young, who signed a one-year, $7.25 million contract as a free agent with the Mets last offseason, played in four games after joining SWB on Wednesday following his release by the Mets. He batted .200 (3-for-15) with a homer and two RBIs for SWB.
Possibly joining the right-handed hitting Young in the majors are pitchers Chase Whitley, Bryan Mitchell, Chaz Roe and Preston Claiborne as well as outfielder Zoilo Almonte and catchers John Ryan Murphy, who also didn’t play Monday for SWB, and Austin Romine, who did.
All except Young are on the 40-man roster.