When one particular game is deemed the most important in the entire season, the latest presumption suggests that Jacoby Ellsbury’s name will not be on the lineup card.
The Yankees center fielder sat for six innings on Sunday afternoon in Camden Yards against the Baltimore Orioles, puzzled why manager Joe Girardi left him on the bench as a substitute during a must-win game.
According to Girardi, the 32-year-old had the day off due to being partially “banged up”, but Ellsbury knows his body better than anyone else, and told reporters that, “everybody’s banged up” in September.
“To be honest, I don’t know what [Joe] was referring to,” Ellsbury told Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media, on Monday afternoon. “Every game is big, I was good to play. Obviously I got in the game and played, so I was good to play.”
It wasn’t the first time that Ellsbury’s health and abilities were placed into doubt. In the American League Wild Card game against the Houston Astros last October, Ellsbury sat with southpaw Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel on the mound, due to his .253 batting average against lefties. Despite the lineup strategy, New York’s outfielders finished 1-for-8 with six strikeouts in the 3-0 loss.
Since joining the Yankees on a massive seven-year, $153 million contract in 2014, Ellsbury’s stature hasn’t been up to par. In three seasons, Ellsbury has combined for only 29 home runs and 149 RBI, along with a .264 average and .324 on-base percentage. While only one season with the Boston Red Sox demonstrated his long-ball power back in 2011, his strongest attribute, stealing bases, has also plummeted. In 2014, Ellsbury tallied 39 stolen bases on 44 attempts, and in the last two seasons combined, the number of stolen bases is also marked at just 39 on 56 total attempts.
According to Kuty, Girardi believes that Ellsbury’s lack of aggressiveness on the basepaths is a result of older age and predictability from opposing pitchers. But Ellsbury insists that his baserunning approach hasn’t changed, explaining his recent reluctance to steal.
“(Rookie catcher Gary) Sanchez has been swinging a hot bat,” Ellsbury said to Kuty. “Really don’t want to make outs with him (at the plate) and his historic pace. With him, you’re already in scoring position on first base. There’s no reason to go. Plus, they’re picking over, paying attention, gets him more fastballs to hit. So even if I’m not going, they’re still picking over, maybe giving him a few more fastballs and he’s been swigging the bat great. So let him drive me in.”
Whether or not Girardi elects to bench him , Ellsbury feels comfortable, and hopes to see as much action when stakes are at its highest.
“I feel fine,” said Ellsbury, who’s hit .261 since the beginning of August. “I swung the bat well in Kansas City and you just have to keep on trying to be as consistent as possible with those approaches you’d take in Kansas City.”
