Ellsbury sits, dealing with sore left thumb

BOSTON -- Jacoby Ellsbury, who has hit .322 since the beginning of June, will likely be dealing with a sore left hand for the rest of the regular season.

Ellsbury aggravated his left thumb when he was jammed on a pitch in Sunday's 7-6 win over the White Sox. He played in Monday's 3-0 loss to the Tigers, but Ellsbury was held out of the lineup on Tuesday.

Manager John Farrell said it will be an ongoing issue for Ellsbury, who hasn't shown any signs of slowing down over the past three months.

"We're hopeful and expect him to play tomorrow, but I don't think it's going to be gone overnight," Farrell said.

Farrell said the day off Tuesday was to try to "get ahead" of the soreness that's developed in the thumb/palm region of Ellsbury's left hand, the top hand that feels the brunt of the contact on an inside pitch for a left-handed hitter. With Farrell's theory, Ellsbury could need routine days off going forward.

"Everyday players at this time of the year are going to be dealing with certain things," Farrell said. "His happens to be in his left hand."