Third baseman Adrian Beltre was giving it the old college try as well, but things went awry when the two collided well into foul ground down the left-field line. Ellsbury went into a slide while Beltre somersaulted over him, kneeing the side of Ellsbury's chest in the process.
His postgame X-rays came back clean, but Ellsbury was diagnosed with bruised ribs. While the Red Sox haven't ruled out the possibility that Ellsbury could be in the lineup for Monday's game against Minnesota, it's rather unlikely that he'll play, especially given the team's off day on Tuesday and manager Terry Francona's fondness for piggybacking off days with the previous game to give certain players extended rest.
With Ellsbury seemingly banged up, he'd be a prime candidate for such a rest.
This means that Jeremy Hermida could be patrolling left field as the Red Sox and Twins inaugurate Target Field, the new home for the Minnesota ballclub.
Hermida has tallied three hits in eight at-bats thus far on the season and knocked one out of the park in Saturday's win over the Royals. He also ripped a two-run double in the first inning Sunday, helping Boston to an eventual 8-6 victory.
The power isn't a surprise: Hermida posted a slugging percentage of .501
for the Florida Marlins in 2007 while playing full-time.
Since then, the outfielder's productivity has fallen off a bit, partly because of
injuries. When the Marlins determined Hermida wasn't a fit for the club
anymore (the knowledge that he'd be earning at least $3 million in 2010 didn't help matters), the Sox jumped
at the chance to bring the lefty to town.
The 26-year-old has a powerful build and was drafted in the first round in 2002. Sometimes these first-rounders take a little while to develop.
Giving Hermida playing time early on has its benefits. It should allow the Red Sox to evaluate whether or not he can help the team over the season, it could build up trade value in case other teams show interest in him and, lastly, it will help the franchise to evaluate whether or not Hermida is worthy of consideration for a role as a starter moving forward.
So far, Boston looks to have a burgeoning star on its hands. While no one wants playing time to come at the expense of another player's injury, the more chances Hermida gets to establish his skills early on, the better.
