Derek's return back to the Bigs began when he broke his ankle diving for a ground ball up the middle in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers last season. Originally, Jeter was supposed to be back by Opening Day of this year, but the doctors continued to find more injuries in the Yankee Captain's ankle. This lead to more and more setbacks, and as offseason turned to Spring Training, and as Spring Training turned to Opening Day, there was still no timetable for Derek's return.
Eventually, at the end of June, Jeter began minor league rehab at the Yankees' AAA affiliate at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Playing mostly at DH, Derek played in 4 games and went 1 for 9, hitting the ball well and running out ground balls. At the beginning of this week, there were rumors that he might be called up before the All-Star Break, which begins Monday. And Thursday morning, Yanks GM Brian Cashman announced that the Captain would be in the starting lineup as the DH for that day's game batting 2nd.
Derek in his first AB with 1 out and nobody on, Jeter hit a soft grounder on the third base side that no one was able to get to in time for an infield single. His next 3 ABs were mostly uneventful, but he did get his first RBI of the year on a groundout that brought home a run in New York's 8-4 victory. However, Joe Girardi elected to take Derek out of the game after 4 ABs for what was called a tight quadriceps. He got an MRI immediately after the game. Originally, Jeter joked about it saying, "Ya know, they give you an MRI for everything in New York!"
On Friday afternoon, Brian Cashman addressed the media about the situation. He said it is a Grade 1 Tight Quad (The least serious of grades) and that Jeter will sit out this weekend's series against the Twins to wrap up the first half. He will not be transferred to the DL, but it is not out of the question. Cashman went on to say that Derek will be examined during the All-Star Break.
Honestly, I cannot stress how important Jeter is to have in this Yankees lineup if they want to contend come September. For one thing, even in his very late 30s, he can still produce, and, until I see otherwise, I still believe he is a good shortstop. Also, he is one of the lone veterans on this team that are actual "veterans." No matter if you're a Jeter fan or not, he is plenty experienced in situations down the stretch and has proved that he knows what to do, as he handles pressure so well. most importantly, it's a huge boost to any lineup knowing that you've got Derek Jeter on your team. Whether he produces like he was 5-6 years ago or struggles mightily, the fact that you have such a historic and great baseball player in your lineup is a huge boost, no matter who you are!
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