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New York Yankees: Jacob Ellsbury Heads to Disabled List

By Andrew Schmid

May 24, 2017; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (22) makes a catch running into the outfield wall against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2017; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (22) makes a catch running into the outfield wall against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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After colliding with the outfield wall, the New York Yankees have placed center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury on the seven-day disabled list with a concussion and neck sprain.

Jacoby Ellsbury of the New York Yankees is on his way to the disabled list. The outfielder suffered a concussion and a neck sprain after colliding with the outfield wall during Wednesday night’s game. Ellsbury managed to complete an impressive catch, but it came at the cost of the injury.

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com stated in a tweet that the Yankees have placed Ellsbury on the seven-day disabled list, which is reserved for players with concussion symptoms. The team had not yet announced who would replace him on the 25-man roster.

At first, the incident did not garner too much attention. As Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors wrote, Ellsbury initially laid on the field for a few seconds before trainers arrived. The 33-year-old remained in the game at first, but Aaron Hicks took his spot in the lineup just over an inning later.

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The loss of Ellsbury will certainly come as a blow to the first-place New York Yankees. Batting .281 with a .349 on-base percentage and a .422 slugging percentage, the lefty has had a solid season at the plate so far. His power has returned after diminishing over the past two seasons, re-establishing himself as a quality force in the Yankees’ lineup.

Even his base running has been vastly improved this season. The center fielder was once a menace on the base paths. Way back in 2009, the then 25-year-old swiped 70 bases with the rival Boston Red Sox. Although he has never quite reached that level since, he did break the 50-bag mark in 2013 and has stolen at least 20 bases for four straight seasons. Ellsbury is currently on track to surpass 30 stolen bases after failing to break out of the low 20s in the past two years.

As great as Ellsbury has played this year, the Yankees should be able to survive during his absence. Aaron Hicks has played exceptionally well thus far, and it is likely that he will take a more significant role in the near future. After posting miserable statistics in 2016, Hicks has raked this year. Furthermore, he has managed to walk at roughly twice his career norm, leading to an elite .432 on-base percentage. Advanced metrics peg his total offensive output at roughly 75 percent better than league-average.

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As for who will replace Ellsbury on the active roster, pure speculation suggests that Mason Williams could take his spot. Williams is already on the 40-man roster and would provide the New York Yankees with a bit more speed. Unfortunately, the youngster has struggled offensively at Triple-A this season, but he already has a bit of major-league experience under his belt. More importantly, top prospect Clint Frazier is not on the 40-man roster and is unlikely to be a suitable short-term fix.

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