Drury still battling migraines

NEW YORK — Brandon Drury has batted in big league games with blurred vision caused by migraines.

“It’s something I’ve battled, pretty much all the time, especially with physical activity, whether it’s a workout or playing ball or whatever it is,” the New York Yankees infielder said Monday. “It gets worse with activity.”

Drury has not played since April 6 and has been undergoing tests on his head, brain and body for the cause of the migraines. He resumed baseball activities before Monday’s homestand opener against Miami. He has been put on an anti-inflammatory medication.

“I’m actually excited to figure out what’s going on,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with this for a while, and I want nothing more than to go out there and play baseball with a clear vision and a clear head.”

Drury said not all the test results have come back and the issues have not yet subsided.

“We should know here in the next week if it’s helping or not,” he said. “It’s not going to happen overnight.”

Drury made his majorleague debut with Arizona in September 2015 and was obtained from the Diamondbacks in a February trade. He started seven of New York’s first eight games at third base and was hitting .217 (5 for 23) with a home run and four RBIs when New York put him on the disabled list on April 7.

He hit .267 with 13 homers and 63 RBIs last year in his second full season with the Diamondbacks, a year after batting .282 with 16 homers and 53 RBIs.

“I think it’s remarkable that he’s been the player he’s been, dealing with that off and on,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

“Maybe this explains why he hasn’t been an even better player to this point in his career. Hopefully, we’re getting those answers that we can get rid of this as an issue and maybe it allows him to really take off as a player.”

MORE WOES FOR ELLSBURY

Another week, another ailment for the increasingly brittle Jacoby Ellsbury.

The 34-year-old New York Yankees center fielder has plantar fasciitis, extending a stay on the disabled list that began with an oblique injury and was prolonged when he hurt a hip.

“It’s just trying to get him back to a point here he can start in on baseball activities,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday.

Ellsbury got hurt early in spring training and 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 the oblique injury and finished spring training 1 for 14.

While the oblique has healed, Ellsbury received a cortisone injection to a hip on April 10 and New York had hoped he would resume baseball activities last Friday. Then his heel started hurting.

“I think he’s had it at times in the past. I don’t think it’s a serious thing,” Boone said. “He’s just got to get right to be able to start back on baseball activities and then getting into and playing in games.”

A backup outfielder after losing the starting center field job to Aaron Hicks last season, Ellsbury 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.

Notes: Boone said LHP CC Sabathia is scheduled to start Thursday against Toronto. The 37-year-old was put on the DL on April 7 because of a strained right hip. He has a 4.00 ERA and no decisions in two starts . ... 1B Greg Bird played catch before the game. He is recovering from surgery on March 27 to repair a broken spur on the outside aspect of his right ankle. The Yankees projected him to return in six-toeight weeks, but Boone said Bird appears to be ahead of schedule.