Red Sox won't negotiate with Jacoby Ellsbury until offseason
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (5/23/2013) Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington hinted Thursday during a radio interview with WEEI the team probably won't engage in contract talks with outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury until after the season. Ellsbury is eligible for free agency in the offseason.
"It’s just, in this case, we agreed before the season that we would defer (contract negotiations) until the end of the season," Cherington said. "That’s our expectation right now. You never say never. Things can change. But our expectation is we pick up the conversation after the season.”
Red Sox consider dropping Jacoby Ellsbury in lineup
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (5/22/2013) Red Sox manager John Farrell admitted Tuesday slumping outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury probably would be moved out of the leadoff spot if Shane Victorino (hamstring) was healthy. As it is, Ellsbury will continue to get the chance to get on track atop the lineup.
"We’re sticking with (Ellsbury) to hopefully give him the opportunity to come out of the situation that he’s in right now," Farrell said, per The Boston Herald. "But I can say this: Whether he’s hitting first or whether he’s hitting somewhere else in the lineup, there are still things that we need to address, that he needs to address, and those are ongoing."
Ellsbury hasn't had a multi-hit game in 15 starts and is batting .143 (9 for 63) in that span, dropping his average from .290 to .242.
"It’s inconsistent timing at the plate right now, whether it’s four ground balls to second base or whether it’s three line drives to third base," Farrell said. "This isn’t a matter of effort. It’s a matter of maybe being a little bit more free of mind and letting that natural ability take over."
Free agency to blame for Jacoby Ellsbury's struggles?
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (5/21/2013) The threat of his impending free agency could be negatively affecting Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, according to the Boston Herald.
Ellsbury is hitting just .241/.303/.335 in 191 at-bats in the final year of his contract. Neither Shane Victorino nor manager John Farrell believes free agency has any impact on Ellsbury's stat line, and Farrell is not going to drop Ellsbury from the leadoff spot.
Victorino indicated he believes Ellbury will turn things around "He’s really not doing that bad. To be where he’s at right now, he hasn’t put himself in a hole," the outfielder said.
Mike Napoli admitted there is some extra pressure on players during their walk seasons. "It was more all the outside people. Your family, your friends, they’re like, ‘Hey, you’ve got to have a big year this year.'"
Ellsbury will have a chance to turn things around against White Sox starter Jose Quintana Tuesday.
Jacoby Ellsbury gets first rest
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (5/19/2013) The Red Sox gave outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury a rest Sunday in Minnesota. Ellsbury had played every inning of every game until Sunday, the Boston Globe reports.
Manager John Farrell wanted to get all the regulars a day off on the road trip. Shane Victorino led off and started in center field.
Ellsbury is in a bit of a funk. He's gone 8 for 56 (.143) over his last 13 games with two extra-base hits, two RBI, a stolen base and six strikeouts.
Red Sox CEO refuses to be critical of Jacoby Ellsbury
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (5/16/2013) Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino said Thursday he's been a bit "surprised" by outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury's slow start. Ellsbury enters play Thursday at Tampa Bay mired in a 6-for-41 slump, dropping his season average to .256.
"I’m a little surprised at the start Jacoby’s gotten off to. But once again -- and I’m sorry to resort to this cliche all the time -- it is only mid-May," Lucchino said. "I haven’t lost faith in Jacoby Ellsbury. We are a different team when he is hitting and running and playing defense the way he is capable of playing. You’re not going to hear me say anything very critical of Jacoby Ellsbury. I love this team when he is hitting and playing on all cylinders."
Jacoby Ellsbury working on timing
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (5/12/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who has started every game this season, remained in the leadoff spot Sunday against the Blue Jays despite being mired in a 4-for-31 slump in his last seven games, dropping his season average from .290 to .259.
"There’s been some times where it seems he gets tied up a little bit," manager John Farrell said, per ESPN. "Whether that’s because of him being a little bit closed off with his lower half that’s caused him to be a little bit late through the hitting zone. I know it’s the one area he’s trying to adjust and work on right now, just trying to keep him a little more square. He’s right now a little bit open to a more closed approach and that’s causing him to be blocked off a little bit. That leads to a little bit of a timing issue."
Jacoby Ellsbury swipes 12th bag
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (5/5/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury hit safely for the ninth time in the last 10 games on Saturday night against the Rangers. He went 2 for 5 in the 5-1 loss.
The 29-year-old singled in the third inning and swiped second for his 12th stolen base. He added another base hit in the seventh.
Ellsbury is batting .295 (13 for 44) in his previous 10 contests with three RBI and three stolen bases.
Jacoby Ellsbury reaches base twice
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (5/3/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury reached base twice and drove in a run during Thursday's series finale against the Blue Jays.
Ellsbury drew a walk in the fourth and slapped an RBI single in the sixth to give his team a two-run advantage. He finished 1 for 4 with a walk and an RBI in a 3-1 victory.
Ellsbury has gone 4 for 12 with three walks, a run scored and an RBI in his last three games. He is hitting .279/.333/.402 with one home run and 12 RBI in 122 at-bats.
Jacoby Ellsbury finally caught stealing
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/28/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was thrown out trying to steal second base in the second inning of Sunday's game against Houston. He was gunned down by Jason Castro.
Ellsbury was caught for the first time this year as he started the season 11 for 11 on steals. Ellsbury entered Sunday's game batting .283 on the year with hits in four straight contests.
Jacoby Ellsbury keeps on hitting
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (4/28/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury hit safely for the 16th time in the last 17 games Saturday night against the Astros. He went 1 for 5 with two RBI and a run scored in the 8-4 win.
The 29-year-old singled home two in the second inning and came around to score on David Ortiz's double later in the frame.
Ellsbury has hit in all but three games thus far and is batting .283 with one homer, 11 RBI and 11 stolen bases.
Jacoby Ellsbury steals 10th base in April
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/24/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 10th base in April, tying the club record he set in 2009 when he stole a club-record 70 total bases, MLB.com reports.
Ellsbury led off and went 1 for 4 with a run scored Wednesday in a 6-5 win over the Athletics. He's 10 for 10 on stolen base attempts and is leading the majors.
The 29-year-old has at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games and is batting .286 with five doubles, three triples, a homer and nine RBI. He's also scored 16 runs over 21 games.
Jacoby Ellsbury on 10-game hitting streak
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/21/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury went 1 for 4 on Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader against the Royals. That extended a hitting streak to 10 games for Ellsbury.
Ellsbury singled Sunday and has gone 13 for 45 (.289) over the streak. He has three stolen bases over the stretch and seven on the year. Ellsbury is batting .282 on the season with a homer, nine RBI and 14 runs scored.
Jacoby Ellsbury records multi-hit game
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/17/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury had a solid performance atop the order Wednesday during a win in Cleveland. Ellsbury went 3 for 5 in the game and scored twice.
The center fielder recorded his first multi-hit game since notching three hits back on April 7 at Toronto. That said, he's scored a run in five straight games and has 11 runs over 14 contests. Ellsbury is also among the league leaders with six stolen bases.
Jacoby Ellsbury not seeing multi-hit games
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/14/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury singled on Sunday during a 5-0 win over the Rays. That moved his batting average to .255 on the season.
Ellsbury went 1 for 4 against Tampa Bay and has hit in four consecutive games. Still, he's just 4 for 22 (.182) over his last five games with just one RBI over that span.
Jacoby Ellsbury heating up for Boston
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/7/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury had another excellent offensive performance Sunday as Boston defeated the Blue Jays 13-0 in Toronto.
Ellsbury, who continues to lead off, went 3 for 6 in the game with two RBI and two runs scored. He also had his fourth stolen base. He doubled and added his first home run of the year in the eighth inning off Dave Bush.
The two RBI gives him seven to go with a .310 batting average. He's hit in every game except one and has stolen a base in three consecutive games.
Jacoby Ellsbury steals two bases
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/6/2013) Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury ran wild on Saturday during a 5-0 loss at Toronto. Ellsbury finished the game with two stolen bases.
The outfielder and leadoff hitter went 1 for 4 in the game with a double. He stole third base and also stole second. Ellsbury has three steals in the past two games after not getting one over the first three.
He's gone 6 for 23 (.261) to this point with five RBI and two extra-base hits atop the Boston order.
Jacoby Ellsbury adds pressure from the top
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (4/2/2013) Last year, it took Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury six games before he amassed three hits to begin the season. He was able to reach that total in the season opener alone Monday against the Yankees as the 29-year-old is expected to assume a permanent spot atop the batting order for Boston.
"We want to put pressure on the opposition," said manager John Farrell, one of the many new faces for the revamped Red Sox. "And that's not strictly with attempted steals and how we look to run the bases first to third, but the attitude and how we go about our work."
One of Ellsbury's three hits Monday was a triple, an extra-base category that was left barren during an injury-riddled 2012 campaign in which he was limited to just 74 games.
Jacoby Ellsbury surpasses RBI spring total in opener
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/1/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury had a productive 2013 season debut Monday against the Yankees. Ellsbury was 3 for 6 with one run, one triple and two RBI in six at-bats.
Ellsbury's triple came off David Phelps in the sixth inning. Both of his RBI came on a single in the ninth inning. Ellsbury had all of one RBI in 19 spring games.
Jacoby Ellsbury back in action
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (3/29/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury returned to the starting lineup Thursday against the Twins after missing some time with a heel injury. Ellsbury, who had been sidelined since March 24, had a leadoff double to start the game and singled in the fifth inning. He finished 2 for 3 with a run scored and a walk in a 6-1 victory.
Jacoby Ellsbury did not have MRI on heel
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (3/27/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury did not have an MRI on his injured heel. Ellsbury was expected to return Wednesday, but wanted an extra day of rest. The injury does not seem serious, and he should be ready for opening day.
Jacoby Ellsbury held out with heel injury
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (3/27/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury will miss his third straight game with a heel injury.
Ellsbury injured his heel on Sunday, and had been hoping to play Wednesday. The injury doesn’t appear too serious, and Ellsbury should be ready by opening day.
Farrell: Jacoby Ellsbury back Wednesday
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (3/25/2013) Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury should be good to go by Wednesday, reports the Providence Journal Monday.
Manager John Farrell said Ellsbury is "a little bit sore," but expects the outfielder to be in the lineup on Wednesday. Ellsbury jammed his right heel during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Philadelphia.
Ellsbury is batting .250 this spring with an RBI. He was caught attempting his first stolen base of the spring on the play he was injured.
Jacoby Ellsbury has first injury setback
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (3/24/2013) Although he was pulled as a precaution Sunday because of a jammed right heel, it would have been nice if Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury made it through the spring injury-free. Injuries have cut into Ellsbury's production in two of the last three seasons, so anytime he gets hurt, then all Fantasy owners hold their collective breath.
Despite Sunday's minor setback, I wouldn't let it impact your Draft Day plans regarding Ellsbury. He's definitely one of those high-risk, high-reward players. Fantasy owners feel the same way as Ellsbury on average has been drafted in the fourth round of Rotisserie leagues and the fifth round of Head-to-Head formats.
Jacoby Ellsbury jammed right heel
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (3/24/2013) The Red Sox updated outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury's condition after he left Sunday's Grapefruit League game. Ellsbury jammed his right heel, according to the Boston Herald. He is expected to be reevaluated on Monday and was removed from the game as a "precaution."
Jacoby Ellsbury suffers ankle injury
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (3/24/2013) Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury had to come out of Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Philadelphia in the top of the second inning due to what appeared to be a jammed right ankle, reports WEEI.com.
Ellsbury slid awkwardly into first base on a catcher's pickoff attempt and remained in the game. He even attempted a steal of second, but was gunned down in his first official attempt of the spring. When he came to bat his next time, Ellsbury was removed in favor of Bryce Brentz. He should be considered day to day.
The 29-year-old Ellsbury entered Sunday's game batting .250 for the Red Sox this spring with one RBI and four doubles.
Thefts will increase when Jacoby Ellsbury's season starts
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (3/23/2013) Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury will pick up plenty of stolen bases this season, despite not even attempting one yet this spring, MLB.com reports.
Red Sox manager John Farrell expects Ellsbury, who will lead off, to be plenty active on the bases during the regular season, but he wants his players to take it easy during the spring in that regard.
"I think he's a pretty adept base stealer. I don't think he's lost a knack to steal bases or get reads on certain pitchers," Farrell said, when asked why Ellsbury doesn't need to practice stealing bases. "I'm confident he still has base-stealing capability."
Ellsbury stole just 14 bases last year over 74 games. "He wasn't the guy that stole 70 a couple years ago, but that is strongly being encouraged," Farrell said.
The most bases Ellsbury has ever stolen during a single spring training is four, so this is really nothing new.
Ellsbury dealing with illness
(3/5/2013) Red Sox outfielder was unable to play in Tuesday's contest against Team Puerto Rico due to an illness. Ellsbury has gone 3 for 14 (.214) through five Grapefruit League games.
Ellsbury has normal offseason
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/4/2013) MLB.com reports Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said during a radio interview Monday center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who was limited to 74 games last season because of a partially dislocated right shoulder, won't be limited at the outset of spring training. "In Jacoby's case, there's no issues whatsoever," Cherington said. "He's fine [and] had a normal offseason."
Ellsbury to take leading role
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (1/26/2013) After bouncing around the top third of the batting order last season, Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is expected to slide into a stable position this year. Ellsbury, who saw time in the second and third slots in former manager Bobby Valentine's ever-changing lineup, will likely assume the leadoff spot under John Farrell. "If guys play to their abilities, I think anybody looks at Jacoby Ellsbury as a leadoff guy with that kind of ability to not only steal bases but drive the ball with some consistency," Farrell told MLB.com on Thursday.
Ellsbury, Sox agree to deal
by Nando Di Fino | Senior Fantasy Writer (1/18/2013) CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman reported on Friday that outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and the Boston Red Sox have reached a deal on a one-year, $9 million contract, avoiding arbitration.
