Unlike his first go-around on the disabled list, the Red Sox plan to be a lot more cautious with Jacoby Ellsbury and his recovery this time around:
Jacoby Ellsbury, meanwhile, hit in the batting cage Tuesday, according to Francona, but it’s clear the Sox will proceed more cautiously this go-round after it was determined last week that Ellsbury came back too soon from his fractured ribs.
“It’s kind of basically what he can handle not just on a daily basis, but repeating it and then taking it out and competing,’’ Francona said. “We’ve run every test imaginable to rule out [the causes]. What it comes to, as we’ve said all along, is symptoms. If it hurts and gets in the way, it hurts and gets in the way. So you have to treat it accordingly.’’
No one is predicting when Ellsbury will return. He told ESPNBoston.com's Joe McDonald that another rehab assignment has not been discussed.
Ellsbury also scoffed at the notion that he's not tough:
“I dive for balls, I run into walls, I slide hard into bases. The fans have been behind me. They know what the deal is,’’ said Ellsbury.
While Ellsbury sits on the disabled list, Darnell McDonald continues to have a job with the Red Sox. Jeremy Hermida, Darnell McDonald and Bill Hall will all split time in the outfield while Ellsbury is out.