The New York Yankees will be without shortstop Derek Jeter until after the All-Star break after a CT scan showed a small crack in his ankle.
Derek Jeter has a small crack in the area of the previous injury, per a CT scan. Cashman says he won’t be back until after All-Star Break.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) April 18, 2013
The New York Yankees have been dealing with injuries for most of the spring, and today, General Manager Brian Cashman all but confirmed that shortstop Derek Jeter will begin the 2013 campaign on the disabled list.
Cashmam: “The season’s coming quicker than that leg’s going to be ready.” Hopes Jeter can play by April 6.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) March 24, 2013
New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who underwent ankle surgery last October, will make his first appearance of the spring today against the Atlanta Braves.
He is expected to get two at-bats against Braves left-hander Mike Minor.
The Yankees lineup: Derek Jeter is starting as the DH twitter.com/FeinsandNYDN/s…
— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) March 9, 2013
Harold Reynolds had lunch with Derek Jeter yesterday and sets the record straight on The Captain’s weight: twitter.com/MLBNetwork/sta…
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 3, 2012
Remember last week when the “unchecked glee” meter on your computer nearly exploded when reports of Derek Jeter’s rapid weight-gain first surfaced? Those were the days. In a new, NOT AT ALL RELATED TO THAT TABLOID REPORT photo op with Harold Reynolds of MLB Network, Derek Jeter appears alongside the ageless former Mariner looking rather…trim. Jeter-esque in his sinewy goodness, at any length.
There is also no doubt in mind that even in this candid moment, Derek Jeter smells not unlike rich mahogany and his skin resembles that of a newborn bebe. The Captain is back, friends. Act like you knew.
It’s impossible to feel bad for the New York Yankees, who find themselves down 0-2 in the ALCS and headed to Detroit without Derek Jeter, who will remain behind to receive treatment on his broken ankle. They are, after all, the Yankees. And while nobody loves to enjoy the Yankees suffering more than me, there’s no joy in watching one of the top half dozen shortstops in baseball history helped off the field in obvious agony. I don’t feel good about this either, but I’ve grudgingly matured enough to come to grips with the fact that, while Jeter may be overrated in some circles, he’s still fantastic. And it’s always much more fun when he’s on the field for the Bombers.
Now, the loss of Jeter is probably not going to hurt the Yankees much this postseason. With the rest of the club’s offense, with the exception of Raul Ibanez, deciding to take October off, Jeter would have often been a one-man show. Moreover, the chances of Jayson Nix having a hot couple weeks and performing better than Jeter would have is not insignificant, especially since The Captain was playing through a bum ankle before it broke. And in the playoffs, where a couple of hits can be incredibly important, Nix’s timing could end up being better than Jeter’s. As for defense, I’m not sure any of us really know if Nix is going to be a better defender than Jeter, who was back to being pretty subpar defensively this year, but he probably won’t be that much worse.
It would be difficult to imagine Derek Jeter in any uniform other than that of the New York Yankees, but complicated negotiations during the 2010 off-season led many to accept the idea that the shortstop might not be a member of the Yankees forever. Of course, worries at the time might have been a bit exaggerated, as Jeter eventually agreed to a three-year deal worth $51 million, including a $3 million buyout if he opts out of an $8 million salary for the 2014 season.
Given his success this season, it seems entirely possible that Jeter could opt out of his contract at the end of 2013 and truly test free agent waters for the first time in his career. According to ESPN, Jeter was asked about such possibilities last night.
Peyton Manning changed teams this season after 14 seasons with one team. Could you see yourself doing that?
To which Jeter replied
Well, if I wanted to keep playing, yes. It’s a business. People forget that.
We talk about the Wild Card races, a Jeter injury and the unstoppable A’s. Then Parkes falls on his sword for last week’s Prop Hate before we fire up an all-new edition of Prop Hate. Also: I talk to Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners. Seriously.
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