Yankees’ Jacoby Ellsbury: I plan to play in 2018

Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury is in Tampa, Fla. trying to get in shape for the 2018 season. A series of injuries and illnesses have prevented him from playing so far. Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier are getting opportunities in center field while Ellsbury is on the mend.

TAMPA — Injured Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury expects to play in 2018.

“That’s the plan,” he told reporters standing outside the team’s player development and training complex on Friday afternoon.

Ellsbury hasn’t played this season due to various injuries. Doctors recently zeroed in on the sacroiliac joint in his lower back as the problem. 

“I’m getting better,” he said. “I’m doing just exercises and treatment (and) ice, that sort of thing. Moving ahead in the right direction. I’m excited about it. Hopefully will be playing in some games in the near future.”

Ellsbury has also dealt with with a right oblique strain, a sore left hip and plantar fasciitis in his right heel

Yankees not ruling out keeping Frazier

Ellsbury spent about three hours at the complex. He said he planned to visit with his teammates in the visiting clubhouse before their game against the Rays at Tropicana Field later in the afternoon.

Ellsbury said he hopes to get into rehabilitation games soon but didn’t say how many at-bats he thought he might need before he’s big-league ready.

Ellsbury added that he believes the injury is something he’ll have to stay on top of when he returns to action and in the offseason.

He was asked if it’s been hard to watch Yankees games from afar as the team has stormed to the league’s best record at 50-22 without him

“You want to be out there,” he said. “That’s all you can really say. You just want to be out there and obviously you do everything you can down here to get back as soon as possible.”

Ellsbury is in the fifth season of a seven-year, $153-million deal.

He’s hit .264 with 39 homers, 198 RBI and a .716 OPS in 520 games over that span. He lost his starting center field job late last season and in the playoffs to Aaron Hicks, who’s still got the position and is hitting .251 with 10 homers, 32 RBI and a .812 OPS in 56 games this year.

It’s difficult to see where Ellsbury would fit on the Yankees’ roster. With Hicks playing well, Ellsbury would profile as a fifth outfielder. He’d also be behind Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Brett Gardner.

“We’re doing everything for, once we step on that field, we’ll have that confidence and just get back up to the team as soon as possible,” Ellsbury said. “That’s obviously the goal while we’re doing here and what we’re doing.”

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.