TAKING OVER: Eduardo Nunez (above and inset left), who will be the Yankees’ Opening Day shortstop with Derek Jeter on the DL, said Jeter (inset right) and Robinson Cano have taught him how to tune out the negative aspects of the game. (
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TAMPA — Time is often the enemy in baseball.
Young players rush through plays in the field and their at-bats, but when you truly begin to understand the game, you make time your friend. You make the most of it.
That is a lesson Eduardo Nunez is learning now that he has been thrust into the shortstop spotlight with time running out on Derek Jeter’s recovery from a fractured left ankle. Jeter is not close to being ready for Opening Day, so Nunez will be the Yankee on the spot come Monday on April Fool’s Day in the season opener.
This is the Eduardo Nunez Show for now.
Nunez is having a solid spring. He has worked hard on improving his fielding and throwing, shortening his arm action under the guidance of infield instructor Mick Kelleher, but he is also learning to take his time on plays.
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In a recent game a slow roller was hit to short and Nunez deftly came in, gloved the ball and made a perfect off-balance throw to first, the signature play Jeter has been making his entire career.
To make that play there has been a mental adjustment made by Nunez. Sometimes that is more difficult to learn than a physical change.
“No rush,’’ Nunez told The Post with a smile. “That is so important. Like in practice, take your time. I don’t try to do too much no more. Sometimes, that’s why I get myself in trouble, I try to do too much.’’
Nunez will turn 26 in June. He has been bounced around like a basketball by the Yankees in an effort to get him playing time — second, third and the outfield, making 28 errors along the way.
“Shortstop is the position I played my entire life and then when I got to the minor leagues, I started moving around because we had Jeter over there playing every day so I have to figure out how to get in the lineup,’’ Nunez said.
Nunez has made another adjustment. He doesn’t dwell on the negative when something goes wrong and that is something he has learned with the help of Jeter and Robinson Cano.
“When the bad moment comes, you have to figure out how to leave it in the past,’’ Nunez said. “You have to let it go, turn the page. Young players keep the bad moment in their head. Jeter and Cano have helped me a lot with that.’’
Nunez starting instead of Jeter isn’t Babe Dahlgren stepping in for Lou Gehrig, but an Opening Day without Jeter at shortstop is rare. This will be the first Opening Day Jeter is not at shortstop since 2001, when Luis Sojo replaced Jeter, who was out with an injured quad.
No one knows when Jeter will return from this ankle injury and subsequent surgery that required a metal plate and four screws inserted in the ankle. No one knows when he will be healthy enough to play shortstop.
General manager Brian Cashman said Jeter must show he can play back-to-back nine-inning games before that day comes. Jeter can’t even run down the first base line now and the pain has shifted in the ankle, which shows he is compensating for the injury.
No matter what, the Yankees expect the speedy Nunez to hit. He batted .292 last season and owns a .272 mark over 448 career at-bats.
“He has never not hit in the big leagues,’’ hitting coach Kevin Long said. “We’ll see how he does with extended at-bats, but I like where he is at and I like what he’s been doing the last part of spring training. If he gets on a roll, you could see the kid putting together a pretty good season.’’
Nunez plans to make the most of this opportunity.
“I love this game,’’ he said with a big smile. “I play 100 percent all the time and I’m learning to enjoy it no matter what happens. I have to smile, I have to bring energy.’’
And he must make time his friend on every play.