Yankee still on sidelines

Jacoby Ellsbury’s latest ailment is plantar fasciitis, preventing the New York Yankees outfielder from fully resuming baseball activities.

The 34-year-old centre fielder has been on the disabled list since the start of the season. He did not play in any exhibition games from March 1 until March 24 because of an oblique injury and finished spring training 1 for 14.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone disclosed April 3 that Ellsbury had injured a hip during his rehabilitation, and Ellsbury received a cortisone injection on April 10. New York had hoped he would resume baseball activities last Friday, but Boone said Monday the heel pain had caused another setback. Boone said the oblique had healed.

Ellsbury, a backup outfielder after losing the starting centre field job to Aaron Hicks last season, is guaranteed $21,142,857 annually through 2020 as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.

Ellsbury hit .264 with seven homers and 39 RBIS in 112 games last season. He was sidelined from May 24 until June 26 after sustaining a concussion against the outfield wall while making a spectacular catch to rob Kansas City’s Alcides Escobar.