KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jacoby Ellsbury wasn’t in Joe Girardi’s lineup Monday night and it wasn’t because the Royals were scheduled to start lefty Jason Vargas before the game was rained out.
Following Sunday’s 2-1 loss in which Ellsbury staggered going from first to second on a leadoff double in the third inning, the center fielder informed the club his right hip was sore.
That was enough for Girardi to use Brett Gardner in center even though the manager admitted he had his hottest hitter as a sub if needed.
“He tripped going over first base and the hip is a little sore,” Girardi said of Ellsbury, who will ride a 13-game hitting streak into Seattle. “We are not concerned. We could use him. I expect him to play [Tuesday]. If he wasn’t sore I would have played him.”
Ellsbury said the problem wouldn’t have completely sidelined Monday night.
“I planned on playing at some point,’’ Ellsbury said. “The plan was for defense, hit or run. I was available. I played the whole game [Sunday] and I planned on getting into the game [Monday].
Technically, I am not going to miss a game. I plan on being in there [Tuesday].”
Even for one game the Yankees’ lineup can’t afford to be without Ellsbury, who is hitting .385 (20-for-52) during the hitting streak which is the longest by a Yankee this season.
Girardi has said it’s not his job to manage Derek Jeter’s farewell tour and will rest him when the manager feels the shortstop could use a break despite protests from people wanting to see the retiring Yankees’ icon play.
Now, Girardi isn’t concerned about dismantling a much awaited meeting between Masahiro Tanaka and Hisashi Iwakuma Tuesday night in Seattle.
The pitchers were teammates for Rakuten in Japan, are friends and were slated to face each other for the first time. However, when Monday night’s rain washed out the Yankees-Royals game at Kauffman Stadium, Girardi decided Vidal Nuno, his starter Monday, would move to Tuesday and every other starter would get an extra day of rest.
“It gives [Tanaka] an extra day,’’ Girardi said of his ace who is 9-1 with an AL-leading 2.02 ERA going into Monday night’s action. “It gives all our guys an extra day.”
Tanaka will pitch Wednesday and Chase Whitley goes Thursday.
Rain postponed the Royals’ pregame ceremony for Jeter in which they were going to present his Turn 2 Foundation a check for $10,000. That will happen Aug. 25 when the Yankees make up the game at Kauffman Stadium.
The Yankees will play the Royals that day then go to Detroit for three and Toronto for three.