Still no timetable for Derek Jeter’s return

August 18, 2013 by Mike Axisa 28 Comments

Via Ken Powtak: Derek Jeter is continuing to take batting practice and field ground balls down in Tampa, but he and his Grade I strained calf have yet to run the bases. “We’ll go day-by-day … He has not necessarily played in a simulated game or anything of that nature, so we’ll just have to see. For me it’s as soon as we can get him,” said Joe Girardi to Chad Jennings.

Jeter, 39, is eligible to come off the DL today, but obviously that won’t happen. He’s played in just five games this year (4-for-19, .211) thanks to a string of leg injuries. I have to think Jeter is still several days away from returning to the team if he has yet to even run the bases, so returning in time for Tuesday’s series opener — openers, really, they have a doubleheader — against the Blue Jays is unlikely. Rosters expand two weeks from today; I wonder if the Cap’n will be held out that long just to make sure he’s 100% healthy after getting hurt immediately after returning from the DL on two occasions this summer.

trr

Although we hope he will return at a productive level sometime this year, we need to face the fact that it just might not happen. Unfortunately, this leaves us with arguably the worst starting SS in MLB, Nunez. And next year, a 40 y/o Jeter? The team desperately needs a plan going forward. Does anybody what the F/A availability at SS is for next year? I seem to remember reading it’s slim pickin’s….
- W.B. Mason Williams
  
  The whole market is weak. The league’s been steadily diminishing the significance of free agency. They want to increase parity in the league by taking away the Yankees’ money advantage? Fine. But if that’s gonna be the case I want the end of revenue sharing too. These fanbases can prop up their own defunct franchises.
W.B. Mason Williams

He’ll come back and probably foul off a ball into the dugout which will break Granderson’s arm again and then ricochet off a hidden compartment revealing documents showing A-Rod trying to sell Mike Trout steroids in a dirty LA motel. l
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  I laughed.
Wheels

When faced with the truth that he can no longer contribute at a high level, I hope Jeter chooses to leave the game gracefully.
- trr
  
  Yes, me too.
  Realistically, 2014 will be his last year.
  - RetroRob
    
    My guess, based on not much, is he’ll be around another two more seasons.
    
    He was great in 2012, but we have no way of assessing his skills in 2013. I suspect he’ll be fine in 2014 and will want to play another season. In fact, I’m not seeing anything from Jeter’s words that indicate a man thinking of calling it quits after next season.
    
    Now if these injuries continue and puts up poor numbers, I can see him calling it quits. I just don’t think that will happen.
kenthadley

With a $9+mil player option for next year? Yeah, right.
brian

This stinks… the yankees aren’t making the playoffs without getting something from Jeter down the stretch of the season (don’t think they’ll make it anyways obviously)

let’s hold off on the retirement talk… we’ll see what happens in 2014, if he has a healthy, productive year he’ll most likely keep playing, if he has another injury plagued season he’ll retire
- Manny’s BanWagon
  
  With that ankle, I don’t see how he can be pencilled in as everyday SS next year.
  
  With Arod likely gone for all next season, I think Jeter should move to 3rd and the Yankees go out and get a SS.
  - Sweet Dick Willie
    
    With Arod likely gone for all next season
    
    That may be jumping the gun.
    
    With all their bluster about how much evidence they have on Alex, MLB has yet to leak any of it.
    
    My own personal opinion is that Alex serves no more than 50 days, with a non-zero chance that he serves no suspension time.
    
    Of course, how productive he will be next season is another matter entirely.
  - brian
    
    It’s all premature… let’s see how he looks next March
    
    He’s in incredible shape even by professional athlete standards and is extremely motivated and committed to playing into his 40s… it doesn’t really matter to me what position he’s playing or how often he’s playing it as long as between playing that position and DH’ing he’s in the lineup consistently
    - Manny’s BanWagon
      
      True but i think it would be hard to count on Jeter playing SS more than 80-100 games tops next year and even that may be stretching it.
      
      His range was horrible even before the ankle fracture.
Manny’s BanWagon

I remember the drag out fights here in January and February when anyone suggested Arod and Jeter likely could miss a lot more time than anticipated coming back from their injuries because of their age, type of injury and nature of their positions. Mike was even mockingly referred to as “Dr Axisa” when he suggested that in a post.

Now, best case scenario Jeter might end up playing 20-25 games this year and Arod around 45.
Bavarian Yankee

over/under 49.5 games before he retires?
- Bavarian Yankee
  
  games he’ll play that is, obviously.
  - brian
    
    Over… I’d be surprised if he didn’t play at least 120 next season
  - Robinson Tilapia
    
    Honestly? Way over. An off-season may do him a world of good.
And in merrie olde England

Why did they bring him back before the all star break?
- Wheels
  
  To make money.
Brian

Last point on this for me, be surprised, but don’t be shocked if he still ends up getting to 4,000 hits

He’s motivated to do it, the team wants him to do it (marketing $$$$$$$$), and as much as he loves playing shortstop, he loves playing BASEBALL more, my honest opinion is that Jeter will move to another position if he feels the team can still compete for a championship and he can get to 4,000… if he feels that the team can no longer win a title, he’ll probably just retire, we’ll see, should be interesting

2014 is, without question, the key year for Jeter in terms of true baseball immortality, he locked up HOF status and Yankee immortality a long time ago, but a run to 4,000 is transcendent stuff
- NYinTX
  
  I don’t see how he gets to 4,000. He’s a little less than 700 away and that would require at least four productive and healthy seasons. I just don’t see any way it happens.
  - trr
    
    4000.
    I love Jeter, but no.
    I’ll take a bite of that fuckin’ hat if he even gets close
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  Now that’s pushing it just a bit.
toad

Cot’s shows Jeter’s contract as having a $3 million buyout.

If that’s right, why wouldn’t the team exercise the buyout, possibly negotiating it up somewhat in exchange for doing some PR work or something? That won’t happen if he’s healthy, but if physical problems continue it might be the best decision all around.
- OldYanksFan
  
  I believe the buyout is if Jeter decides to retire. The Yanks have no say.
RetroRob

Derek Jeter should be sent down on a rebab assignment for the next two weeks, three if there’s minor league games going on that long. He had all of 13 PAs in the minors before they called him up the first time, and now has had another 20 spread out of six weeks, and almost none for three weeks. His legs are not in game shape and haven’t been at any point this year.

It’s unlikely the Yankees will have a healthy and productive version of Jeter back until 2014 when he can work out over the winter as he normally does and has a regular spring training to get work into game shape.
Darren

The comments on this thread make me wish Jeter signs with the Red Sox and gets another 2,000 hits for Boston, while the Yankees sit in the cellar for eternity. The stupidity and disloyalty is astounding.

Have fun with your sub replacement level Nunezes for the next 100 years you lummoxes.You honestly don’t deserve to have Jeter on your team.