TORONTO – Derek Jeter could have two limbs sliced off and insist his body was OK.
So with his return to the Yankee lineup hours away yesterday afternoon, Jeter offered a phrase he has used throughout his career when asked about an injury.
“I am fine, I told you all I was fine,” said Jeter, who was removed from Saturday night’s game in Kansas City and sat out Sunday with a stiff right knee that housed a small amount of fluid.
Manager Joe Torre talked to his shortstop yesterday to make sure Jeter was OK.
“I need to have him comfortable,” Torre said. “He knows, first off, you can put up with discomfort as long as it doesn’t slow you up.”
While Jeter returned and played seven innings, he went 0-for-3 and walked twice. He is in a 5-for-30 (.167) slide.
Jeter needs one more run scored to pass Bernie Williams and move into fifth place on the all-time Yankee list. Jeter has 1,366.
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Luis Vizcaino’s arm is fine. But a back problem made him unavailable for last night’s game. Vizcaino, who hasn’t pitched since Sept. 4 due to a tired arm, was supposed to be available in the bullpen last night. However, his back acted up and the manager said he couldn’t pitch last night.
“The arm feels good, but he woke up with a sore back,” Torre said. “He isn’t available for a different reason.”
Vizcaino joins Jorge Posada as victims of Toronto hotel beds and ensuing soreness even though the Yankees switched hotels from their previous two trips. Posada came up with a severe stiff neck the last time the Yankees were in Canada.
Vizcaino said he will throw a bullpen session today and hopes to be available tomorrow night.
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Shelley Duncan was sent to New York to have a lower abdominal wall problem examined. Duncan told Torre he has been having problems in the area since Aug. 7, when he slid hard into second base against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre to break up a double play.
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Mike Mussina starts tonight for the first time since Aug. 27, when he was deleted from the rotation in favor of Ian Kennedy.
“I am not worried about innings,” Torre said of the veteran right-hander, who worked in relief of Roger Clemens on Sept. 3. “If Mike attacks the strike zone it will be same as if he never came out of the rotation. I think 100 pitches is reasonable.”
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Ross Ohlendorf made his major-league debut last night, working a perfect ninth inning.