Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury to go on DL for sprained knee

WASHINGTON -- New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsburywill go on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right knee after he was injured in the fourth inning of Tuesday night's 8-6, 10-inning lossto theNationals.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Ellsbury hurt himself swinging in the fourth inning, when he left the game.

Girardi said Ellsbury went for an MRI, but the manager did not know the specific severity of the injury.

"Is it going to cost him some time?" Maybe," Giardi said. "Is it real serious? I don't think so, but we really won't know until the MRI."

Slade Heathcottwill get called up from Triple-A.

Girardi could move left fielder Brett Gardner to center or play Chris Young in center. Heathcott also could play center.

"I haven't really thought about it," Girardi said. "You've got to see what it is. It's possible that we might do that. I think you kind of wait to see what it is before you make a whole lot of changes."

During the fourth inning, Ellsbury became the first Yankee to reach base by walking againstNationalsstarter Gio Gonzalez.

But after Ellsbury moved to second on a groundout, Girardi and assistant trainer Mark Littlefield checked in on Ellsbury.

Ellsbury stayed in the game and scored a run. However, he did not return to the field for the bottom half of the fourth.

Ellsbury was replaced by Carlos Beltran, andYoung moved from right to center.

The Yankees will likely call up Ramon Flores from Triple-A to be the team's fourth outfielder.

Ellsbury entered the game hitting .327 with a homer, six RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

After signing a seven-year, $153 million contract, Ellsbury hit .271 with a .747 OPS in his first year with the Yankees in 2014.