Red Sox Injury Update: Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz to Return This Weekend

Jacoby Ellsbury led the Boston Red Sox in WAR last season.  Clay Buchholz was an All-Star in 2010 and

pretty damn good in 2011.  The Red Sox need these guys, and they’ll be getting them back soon.  According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Boston plans to activate Ellsbury on Friday and Buchholz on Saturday.

The Red Sox are sitting on .500, and the entire fan base is cautiously optimistic.  They are 2 1/2 games back of one of the two AL Wild Card spots.  They are not out of contention.  However, all season they have struggled to show they could truly make a move in the surprisingly strong AL East.

Jacoby Ellsbury was worth 7.4 WAR last season.  Keep in mind, Baseball Reference figures anyone to be 8+ WAR should be an MVP.  Ellsbury was pretty close.  So far this season he has only played in 7 games and got off to a slow start.  He was hitting .192/.300/.269.  His numbers should skyrocket once he returns to the lineup, and so should the Red Sox chances.

So far this season, Buchholz has started 14 games.  In those games, he is 8-2, but he has a 5.53 ERA.  Last season, his ERA was 3.48.  And the season before it was a slim 2.33.  Much of his ERA struggles came from the injury and should be corrected when he returns healthy.

The Red Sox will need big second-half contributions from both players.  David Ortiz is having a fantastic season, but with Ellsbury there to compliment him, the entire Sox offense could finally show signs of life.  On the pitching front, Buchholz could reinvigorate the entire rotation.  Beckett has been oft-injured and inconsistent.  Jon Lester has been inconsistent.  They’ve demoted Daniel Bard. Boston fans can only help the ship is righted and righted quickly when these two return to the team.

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