Ellsbury hopes for return on Sunday
CHICAGO — Jacoby Ellsbury was not in the Yankees’ lineup Saturday night against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Ellsbury hasn’t started since Monday due to a nerve problem in the left elbow. He suffered the injury running into a Yankee Stadium wall.
Ellsbury’ only game action since then was as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Friday’s 3-2 win.
“Shooting for [Sunday],” Ellsbury said Saturday afternoon. “Feeling a lot better from [Friday] till today. I am doing everything I can to be back as soon as possible.”
Ellsbury was wearing tape on the elbow that is designed to take tension off the nerve.
Manager Joe Girardi, who started Aaron Hicks in center for the fourth straight game, is looking forward to having Ellsbury back for the finale of a three-game series against the Cubs and lefty Jon Lester.
“Hopefully he is a player [Sunday]. I want him to pick it up a little bit [Saturday] and throw,’’ Girardi said of Ellsbury, who is in a 2-for-12 (.167) slump. “He said he feels substantially better today than [Saturday]. I would think he would be a player [Sunday].’’
If Ellsbury can start, it is likely Brett Gardner will sit, because Hicks is 9-for-17 (.529) with two homers and five RBIs in the four games Ellsbury has missed.
Aaron Judge says there is nothing alarming about the mountain of ice packs that smothered each knee following Saturday night’s 11-6 win over the Cubs.
“Been doing this the past couple of days. I have been sliding and falling on the knees. It’s just maintenance. There is a long season ahead of us,’’ Judge said.
With the Cubs starting Lester Sunday night and the DH banned from use in NL parks during Interleague play, there is a very good chance the right-handed hitting
Matt Holliday will play first base for the initial time this year and only the 11th time in his career.
“Maybe shooting for [Sunday],’’ Girardi said Saturday. “You want his bat in the lineup.’’
At 19-9 the Yankees are 10 over .500 and are experiencing their best start since going 20-8 in 2010.