So far, so good for Jacoby Ellsbury, who is currently on a rehab stint in the Gulf Coast League.
The injured outfielder, who has only played in nine games this season, is coming closer and closer to a return to the big league club after three encouraging games in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Ellsbury has done a little bit of everything, collecting three hits, walking twice, stealing a base, getting plunked uneventfully in the back, and perhaps more importantly getting a shot to run down fly balls in the outfield. So far, Ellsbury has no complaints.
I’m on the right track, for sure. Something like this is valuable; you need it before you can come back and start playing. It was nice that I was able to come down here and get some at-bats in. These are the first steps back to playing.
We’re going to check in with the team and tell them it went pretty well, very well, actually
If Ellsbury has been out of the loop with his time spent away from the team, he’s certainly kept up with the season-to-date. He knows the Red Sox aren’t in a great position, but he’s staying optimistic.
“We’ve got two months left,’’ he said. “Tampa and New York play a lot, so I think we’ll be in pretty good shape. It’s been a long year [for me], and I’m looking forward to getting back in the lineup. We’ll see how it goes from there.’’
And make no mistake, for as much as Jacoby Ellsbury’s injury process has been a long drawn out dramafest, Ellsbury is itching to finally make his way back to Boston.
“They do a good job down here,’’ he said. “But I’m ready to play ball.’’