TRENTON — One down, one to go. After a successful first rehab game last night for Double-A Trenton, Derek Jeter is one more injury-free performance tonight from rejoining the Yankees — and his quest for 3,000 hits — in Cleveland tomorrow night.
“I feel good,” Jeter said after the game. “There are no problems whatsoever. It’s just getting at-bats and playing, but I feel good.”
Jeter played five innings against the Altoona Curve, his first game action since injuring his right calf against the Indians on June 13. He accomplished everything he hoped to, going 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored and playing flawless defense at short.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman also was in attendance, watching Jeter from a seat behind home plate, and said he was thrilled with what he saw.
“Today looked great,” Cashman said. “He looked really good. . . . He looked better at the plate than we expected, and I thought defensively there was a pretty tough play to make.”
Jeter, who led off and wore his regular No. 2, looked very comfortable at the plate, staying back and waiting for pitches to hit in each of his three at-bats. He didn’t swing until the fifth pitch in his first at-bat, when he singled to left, and didn’t swing until he had a full count in his second at-bat, when he lined out to end the third inning thanks to a diving stop by Altoona first baseman Matt Curry.
He again worked the count full before drawing a walk in his final at-bat in the bottom of the fifth, after which he was lifted for a pinch-runner.
“We play this game every day for a reason,” Jeter said. “You have to get into a rhythm. You take three weeks off, you’re off a little bit. I wanted to take a few pitches in my first couple of at-bats just to see some. You’ve got to get your timing.”
Jeter’s first action in the field came in the top of the second, when he started a 6-4-3 double play after the leadoff runner had reached base. After making a routine play on a grounder in the third inning, Jeter recorded all three putouts in the fourth inning. He ranged to his left on each of the three plays, including on a grounder up the middle by Altoona’s Josh Rodriguez that forced Jeter to stop, spin and throw to first to barely get the second out of the inning.
Now a day closer to getting back into the lineup, Jeter, who has 2,994 hits, is a day closer to restarting his chase to 3,000. But he said that since he’s been out of the lineup, the thought of getting back on the field has driven any thoughts of the milestone from his mind.
“No, it’s not hard right now,” he said. “I’m trying to get back. I haven’t played, so as much as I’d like the hit [last night] to count, it doesn’t.”
Cashman said he wasn’t sure what Jeter’s schedule would be as the chase for 3,000 plays out over the course of the next week — a four-game series against the Rays likely is Jeter’s only chance to get the historic hit at Yankee Stadium.
“I need to talk to our staff,” he said. “It’s about keeping him healthy. It’s important, not just for Derek, but all of these guys. A lot of these guys, they’re extremely important to keep on the field. These assets bring a lot to the table, and if you want them for the long haul, you can’t run them out there for 162 games.”