TAMPA, Fla. _ Jacoby Ellsbury didn't suit up for a game last season for the Yankees because of a variety of injuries, one of which eventually led to hip surgery.
This year the outfielder, who has two years left on the seven-year, $153-million contract he signed before the 2014 season, won't even make it to spring training on time.
Aaron Boone disclosed toward the end of his spring kickoff news conference Wednesday that the 35-year-old Ellsbury, whose string of injuries began early in the spring last year, wouldn't arrive here until "sometime in March."
"We expected him to be here as an active player from the start," Boone said. "But just some issues he had with his plantar fasciitis that kind of crept up as he was going through his rehab this winter slowed him a little bit. We feel he's making really good progress but he'll stay in Arizona (where Ellsbury lives) for at least the next couple of weeks."
In disclosing the Ellsbury news, Boone also said right-handed pitching prospect Michael King, whose standout 2018, which ended with Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes/Barre, pushed him very much into the spotlight and earned him a camp invite this year, would be shut down for at least the next three weeks.
"He had a stress reaction in his elbow," Boone said. "Feel like he's probably going to be OK, but it's something we need to shut him down for a few weeks."
King experienced discomfort in the elbow after throwing a bullpen last week and underwent an MRI.
