Rest Of Jacoby Ellsbury’s Season In Doubt Following Broken Rib Diagnosis

The more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess.

The rest of Ellsbury’s season is in doubt now following his collision with Tommy Hunter. He has batted .192 over just 18 games and 83 trips to the plate.

2010 has been a season to forget for Jacoby Ellsbury. After returning from his second stint on the DL in early August, Ellsbury managed to play in all of nine games before hurting his ribs again, this time in a collision with Rangers pitcher Tommy Hunter at first base. Ellsbury collided with the large starter and fell down, causing some trauma to the same area of his ribcage that had been hurt earlier in the year.

Result? A third trip to the disabled list, and one that could even wind up ending Ellsbury’s season. Says Terry Francona:

That ‘bigger issue’ we talked about yesterday - it’s a new, small rib fracture for Jacoby Ellsbury.

Ellsbury originally hurt his ribs when he collided with Adrian Beltre in early April. This new injury is believed to have happened when Ellsbury dove for a ball in late May. The only thing Ellsbury can do is wait until he’s symptom-free.

Jacoby Ellsbury had recently been hitting off of a tee, but along the way in his rehab, he wanted to get a second opinion on his rib injury, and the second opinion wasn’t very positive.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, and the important thing is getting Ellsbury right again for the stretch run, but these delays and setbacks are frustrating for all involved parties. The good news for the Red Sox is that Bill Hall has stepped up as a fill-in, but Ellsbury remains a big part of this team going forward.

And there we are. Jacoby Ellsbury is indeed going back on the DL with the same sort of injury that put him on the DL a month and a half ago. If there’s good news, it’s this:

For as long as Ellsbury’s out, look for the Red Sox to rotate through Jeremy Hermida, Bill Hall, and Darnell McDonald in left field depending on the handedness of the opposing pitcher.

Jacoby Ellsbury missed more than a full month of action with four broken ribs. He was finally activated from the DL last Saturday and played three straight games, but then he felt soreness again and hasn’t played since Monday. Now he’s off to see a specialist.

Depending on what Ellsbury hears, it’s possible that the Red Sox will have to put him back on the disabled list. These injury problems are leading some to question Ellsbury’s commitment and determination, which - even if false - isn’t the sort of allegation one needs to have following him around while playing in a city like Boston.

CT results are back on injured Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, and they’re not terrific:

The good news for Boston is that, while Ellsbury will likely be out into May, fill-in Jeremy Hermida has already provided six extra-base hits. Between Hermida and Darnell McDonald, the Sox are wading through their outfield injury trouble with flying colors.