Jacoby Ellsbury will head to Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday to continue his rehab assignment against Triple-A competition. Unlike his first rehab stint back in May, which preceded a brief return before he had to go back on the disabled list, there appears to be nothing in his way.
"I don't have the pain in my back, that's the biggest thing," Ellsbury said. "Last time I was playing with the broken rib."
Sure enough, Ellsbury returned from four broken ribs only to find out later he had a fifth around the back of his left side, all the result of his collision with Adrian Beltre back in April.
There was a slight sense of tension when Ellsbury was called out by teammate Kevin Youkilis for choosing to begin his second rehab away from the team, and when Ellsbury told reporters in Toronto before the All-Star break that they could've found the fifth broken rib if they performed the tests he wanted.
Ellsbury said those issues are just water under the bridge.
"I think we've been on the same page for a while: the team, myself, everybody," he said. "I feel like we're on the same page … that's why they sent me to Arizona in the first place."
In order to hammer home the point of complete compliance, Ellsbury said it's all up to the organization as to how long he will be in Pawtucket.
"I've only played three games so I'm ahead of schedule on everything," he added. "It's kind of up to them. … If they tell me to play four innings I'll play four innings. If they tell me to play nine innings, I'll play nine innings.
"It's kind of in their hands at this point."
There is a sense that it may just take two games for Ellsbury to be ready to return. He will be re-evaluated after Sunday's game for the PawSox.
The PawSox play Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. against Durham.
The key to his potentially quicker comeback lies in the fact that he is confident that he cannot reinjure himself. It's all about getting repetitions at this point.
"I'm not gonna be 100 percent [but I'm] not going to re-aggravate it," said the 26-year-old. "I think we're all comfortable now that when I get out there, I can perform."
