Jacoby Ellsbury Returns to Center Field, Cody Ross Serving as DH in Opener With Yankees

Jacoby Ellsbury will be back to patrolling the Red Sox outfield on Friday night, one night after serving as the club's designated hitter.

Ellsbury, who is battling a minor leg issue, is in center field and hitting leadoff for the Sox' series opener with the Yankees in the Bronx.

The club would love for Ellsbury to get hot, especially in front of players like Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez, who continue to stay hot. They'll be in the third and fourth spots in the lineup respectively again on Friday night against Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes. The duo is a combined .313 (10-for-31) with two home runs and six RBIs for their career against Hughes.

Franklin Morales gets the start for the Red Sox. The left-hander was shelled on July 7 by the Yankees, allowing six runs (four home runs) in just 3 1/3 innings of work in the first game of a doubleheader.

He won't have to deal with Mark Teixeira on Friday night, though, as the slugger is not in the Yankees lineup to begin things.

Here are the lineups.

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Cody Ross, DH
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Mike Aviles, SS
Scott Podsednik, RF
Pedro Ciriaco, 3B

Franklin Morales, P

Yankees
Derek Jeter, DH
Nick Swisher, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Andruw Jones, RF
Casey McGehee, 3B
Curtis Granderson, CF
Russell Martin, C
Jayson Nix, SS
Ichiro Suzuki, LF

Phil Hughes, P