The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports
If Sept. 7 against the Boston Red Sox was the last time we see shortstop Derek Jeter in a New York Yankees uniform, it may be for the best. Wednesday, Jeter was placed on the 15-day disabled list effectively ending a nightmare season for him as he has battled numerous foot and leg injuries to get back into game shape. If the Yankees do make the playoffs, do not expect to see Jeter in the lineup at all.
Coming back from a broken ankle he suffered in the American League Championship Series, Jeter pushed himself as hard as he could to get back into the Yankees’ lineup before Opening Day this season. By doing so, Jeter may have hurt his chances of having a productive season and possibly hurting the Yankees’ chances of making the playoffs. Already saddled with injuries, if Jeter took the time to get his legs underneath him instead of trying to rush his 39-year-old body to get back, he could be an everyday or an every-other-day type player currently instead of being shut down for the rest of the season.
Jeter could not measure the affect his old, decaying body would have on his game, and that is why he is going to be on the sideline for the rest of the season. The 63 at-bats that Jeter gave the Yankees and his two other stints on the disabled list were more than enough for him to handle. He did not exercise his legs enough to get back to game speed.
New York will miss Jeter, but he should have done everything he could to be 100 percent instead of playing at 60 for the short time he was available.
Ryan Gaydos is a MLB columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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