NEW YORK -- Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury said he was fine Saturday afternoon after banging his right knee in the ninth inning of Friday night's 5-4 win over the Yankees.
Ellsbury was in the lineup Saturday for his 39th game of the season, batting leadoff and playing center field, and he's one of just two Red Sox players -- the other being Adrian Gonzalez -- who's appeared in all of the team's games.
At the plate, he's been a spark for the Red Sox, hitting safely in 20 his last 21 games at a .362 clip. He has his health to thank.
Ellsbury was limited to 18 games last year because of fractured ribs, going on the disabled list three times. This year, manager Terry Francona thinks Ellsbury is making it a point to show he can stay healthy.
"I think so, I think it's a priority," Francona said. "I think he understands that -- however you want to say it, whether he wants to prove to whoever, maybe to himself, or maybe to you, or I don't know, me -- yeah, I think he definitely wants to be out there."
With Ellsbury in the lineup, Francona compared his resiliency to former Sox center fielder Johnny Damon. That doesn't mean Ellsbury's been feeling 100 percent every day. As a base-stealer and center fielder, nicks and sore muscles come with the territory, but he's not sitting because of them.
"I think he understands by being out there -- whether he's at full strength or not -- by being out there, especially if he's hitting leadoff, he can impact a game a lot of different ways, and that's an admirable trait," Francona said. "Probably remember how much I used to talk about Johnny Damon, how he did that. And as a manager or coach, you really appreciate that in players. And I think Jacoby's done a tremendous job, because there are some days where he's been a little bit beat up."