Ellsbury Scores Twice In Return To Red Sox Lineup
BOSTON (CBS) - Jacoby Ellsbury returned to the Boston Red Sox' lineup on Wednesday night, going 1-for-2 and scoring a pair of runs before being lifted in the bottom of the fourth.
After missing 16 games with a fractured bone in his right foot, Ellsbury said it was good to be back in the swing of things as the regular season comes to a close.
"It was nice getting back,'' Ellsbury said following Boston's 15-5 win over the Rockies. "I'm definitely excited about it. Felt pretty good out there, as far as seeing the ball and in the outfield.''
Ellsbury singled in the first inning after a seven-pitch at-bat, later scoring on a two-run double by David Ortiz. He grounded out in the second and then drew a walk in the fourth, scoring on Shane Victorino's three-run home run.
The plan heading into the game was to get him three at-bats, and with Boston's offense clicking with their speeder center fielder atop the lineup, those came early in the game. Now the team will see how the foot responds on Thursday's off-day, but Wednesday night's game was a good start for Ellsbury.
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"It's a healing bone,'' he said. "It doesn't heal itself in a week. I was happy to get out there and play, run around. I kind of did everything I needed to do. Sprint down the line, run for a ball in the gap, just do everything I need to do. The plan was to give me three ABs. I got 'em early today. It was good.''
"He came out of it feeling the same as when he started,'' said manager John Farrell. ''That was the most important thing tonight; just to get him back on the field was a big step. He's much improved. I can't say that he's 100 percent, but it's not to the point where it's holding him back either in the field, on the bases or in the box. It was a good step.''
Ellsbury said he has not discussed a plan with Farrell for Boston's final three-game set against the Orioles in Baltimore, but he was glad to return to the field as soon as he did to knock off any rust ahead of the playoffs.
"That was important to me to get back as soon as possible and get into some games before the postseason starts,'' he said. "I'm definitely very pleased.''
Ellsbury has now scored a team-leading 91 runs this season, with the Red Sox leading the Majors with 830 runs scored.
