TAMPA — Considering the nature of the injury to a player who lives with his legs and to whom the Yankees gave seven years and $153 million, manager Joe Girardi had concerns Jacoby Ellsbury’s right calf problem was more than a spring training nuance.
Now, with the Yankees ending camp Saturday the manager and player believe he will be in the lineup Tuesday night in Houston for the season opener.
“The first call I got it wasn’t. The second call I got it really wasn’t,’’ Girardi said when asked if he was concerned the leadoff batter and center fielder wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day. Girardi took those calls while in Panama City, Panama. “But then when I got back it was a little bit. That’s why we started him in the minor league games.’’
Friday, Ellsbury played center field for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Double-A Trenton at the minor league complex. He went 2-for-5 and struck out looking.
The original plan was for Ellsbury to play in Friday night’s game against the Marlins at George M. Steinbrenner Field. That was changed Thursday when heavy rain was predicted.
Now, having played in three minor league games in four days, there is a chance Ellsbury will play Saturday against the Marlins. Yet, rain is expected again and it’s doubtful the Yankees would risk Ellsbury’s legs on a soggy field.
“Weather permitting he will play [Saturday],’’ Girardi said of the exhibition season finale.
If Ellsbury is injured in a big league game, he can’t be back-dated if he has to start the season on the disabled list. If he gets hurt in a minor league game, Ellsbury can be back-dated to March 21.
“I am going to tell Joe how everything went [Friday] and like I am telling you guys, everything went well,’’ Ellsbury said. “It’s their call, but I will let them know it went very well and extremely well the last few days.’’
Ellsbury ran to first under control in the first two at-bats when he grounded out to the left side. He was called out on strikes in the third, singled to deep short in the third and laced a single to center in his final at-bat.
“Once I knew they were hits, I played like I normally would, bust it out of the box,’’ Ellsbury, who didn’t get any action in center field other than backing up the other outfielders.
Ellsbury did get tested while on second base when a liner went off the pitcher’s glove. That forced him to break, stop and run.
“That’s what you want to see, a play like that is unusual. You are not anticipating something like that,’’ Ellsbury said.
So, is one major league game in two weeks enough for Ellsbury to be sharp Tuesday?
“I don’t think it will have an effect on him. All the [minor league] at-bats he has had have been really good,’’ hitting coach Kevin Long said of Ellsbury, who has 23 big league at-bats this spring. “His timing looks good and he is barreling up balls. He has seen lefties and righties and probably had 20 at-bats in three days. He has had plenty of live swings to feel good about him heading into the season.’’