Jacoby Ellsbury Avoiding Shoulder Surgery

It appears the damage sustained by Jacoby Ellsbury's collision with Reid Brignac isn't extensive enough to require surgery. Instead, his dislocated shoulder will heal with time and a standard treatment program of rest and rehabilitation.

Ellsbury got a second opinion from Dr. Lewis Yocum, and the orthopedist says he will not need "immediate" surgery. Ellsbury might still need to go under the knife in the future, but for now, the damage seems as if it's minimal enough to proceed without it. That's good news for the Red Sox, as surgery could possibly lengthen the time it will take Ellsbury to come back.

Even avoiding surgery means Ellsbury is out for one-to-two months, although there hasn't been an official timetable placed on his return yet, either. The Red Sox currently have a Darnell McDonald, Cody Ross, and Ryan Sweeney outfield, with Jason Repko as the fourth outfielder, thanks to Ellsbury's shoulder and Carl Crawford's off-season wrist surgery.