JUPITER http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , Fla. (AP) — Going into spring training, St. econd baseman Kolten Wong always wanted to hear.Wong wouldn’t have to prove himself. He didn’t have to be perfect. Wong would be the Cardinals‘ starting second baseman.“It’s something I’ve asked for since I got to the big leagues, just a chance to go out there and play everyday,” Wong said.Last year’s midseason managerial change relaxed Wong. And a comfortable Wong proved to be a valuable player.“Kolten, last year, he may have been the best second baseman in baseball the second half of last season,” said Shildt, who replaced Mike Matheny in mid-July.A career .255 hitter over six seasons with an above-average glove Boog Powell Jersey , the 28-year-old Wong hit no better than .210 in any one of the three months prior to Matheny’s firing and no worse than .280 in any month that followed.Wong doesn’t believe the improvement coincidental.“Shildt came in and it gave me that flexibility to be myself and play my game,” Wong said. “The rest is history, I guess.”Matheny’s intensity,Wong said, never allowed him to feel comfortable in his role.“I will just say the leash wasn’t too long for me, that’s just how it went,” Wong said. “It was a very short leash. It’s tough to play when you have that kind of pressure. Obviously, I want to play every day. In order for me to play every day it was a make-or-break situation every single day. It was tough.”Wong is taking an aggressive approach this spring. Unafraid of making mistakes Giancarlo Stanton Jersey , he’s looking to take the extra base. At the plate, he’s able to work on his swing or situational hitting without feeling the pressure produce statistically.Wong is hitting .269 with a homer, a double and two stolen bases in Grapefruit League play.“Before I felt like I was kind of getting tested from the very beginning and if I wasn’t doing good it was kind of, shame on me,” Wong said. “It was a tough time for me trying to figure out how to just go out there and play my game without having that pressure — if I don’t do good today, I’m definitely not going to play tomorrow.”Possessing a nice blend of power and speed, in years past Wong expressed his desire to hit at the top of the order. With Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler healthy, that won’t happen.Shildt expects Wong to create scoring opportunities from the bottom of the lineup.“Kolten’s our second baseman Derek Jeter Jersey ,” Shildt said. “I think it’s pretty clear that’s the case. He knows that. He’s had a solid spring across the board. He’s in a good place.” TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jacoby Ellsbury expects to play again following a hip injury, but when that will be is not clear.“It’s hard to say,” the 35-year-old New York Yankees center fielder said Monday. “We’re putting a plan together right now. But definitely headed in the right direction.”Ellsbury reported more than a month late to spring training due to a rehab program in Arizona for left hip surgery performed last August. He also had issues with plantar fasciitis in the right foot during the offseason.“The hip’s good,” Ellsbury said. “After surgery, just building up right now. Just in the beginning stages of baseball activities.”He is running, playing short-range catch and hitting off a tee.Ellsbury hurt his right oblique early in spring training last year and eventually spent the entire season on the disabled list.“You want to be out there, for sure http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton-jersey ,” Ellsbury said. “That’s why I put in the time, put in the work. You want to contribute, you want to be part of the team. Stay optimistic and just put the work in.”Ellsbury is guaranteed $21,142,857 annually through 2020 as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.Ellsbury hit .264 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 112 games in 2017.