In a sad way, the news was completely unsurprising. Aaron Boone announced yesterday that Jacoby Ellsbury’s hip surgery rehab has been slowed by another ailment (plantar fasciitis), and that he is quite a bit behind the other position players this spring. Opening Day was always questionable. Now it’s a near certainty Ellsbury will not be ready when the regular season begins.
At this point Ellsbury getting hurt or his rehab taking longer than expected is not surprising news. That has been par for the course for a few years now. What is surprising is that he will stay home in Arizona for the next few weeks rather than report with the other position players on Monday.