Ellsbury Back In Lineup Tonight

Apr 20, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (22) on deck to bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

After missing the first game of this series Tuesday night with a sore left hand, Jacoby Ellsbury is back in the lineup leading off and playing center field for the Yankees tonight in the series finale against the Seattle Mariners. Ellsbury, who has a history of injuries, has managed to stay on the field thus far, but gave Yankees’ fans a scare with the news of his hand.

Tests came back clean however, and Ellsbury is good to go. So far, the Yankees have gotten their money’s worth with Ellsbury, as he has swung a hot bat all season long, leading the team in hits (29), and batting average (.312). He also leads the team in stolen bases (8), and has shown off the same tremendous defensive ability that helped to establish him as one of the top outfielders in the game. The pairing of he and left fielder Brett Gardner make one of the most dangerous duos both in the field and at the plate. It’s rare that a team in today’s game has one 50-plus basestealer on the roster, but to have two, in their prime, the Yankees couldn’t be happier thus far. The Yankees can only hope his hot start continues.