TAMPA — The only thing holding back Derek Jeter now is Derek Jeter.
The shortstop started running yesterday for the first time since October surgery to repair his fractured ankle as his rehab progresses.
“I’ve gotten the OK to do everything now,” Jeter said at the Yankees minor league complex.
And while he said he felt “great” after a session on the treadmill, he admitted to having some rust.
“I haven’t used my legs, so I’ve got to get back to using them,” Jeter said. “I just have to be careful with my ankle, but now I’ve gotten the green light with that and I’ve gotten all the green lights I need.”
Curtis Granderson arrived to camp yesterday for the first time and thought Jeter was his usual self.
“He was just running straight forward, but he looked good,” Granderson said. “I didn’t think about [the injury] because he wasn’t … hobbling or wincing in pain or making any of those gestures. To me, it just looked like he was warming up. You hear things about it and you expect people to be helping him off the field and that’s not the case.”
Instead, Jeter remained on the infield grass, taking grounders and moving slightly more to his side in his attempt to return from his October surgery in time for Opening Day. Both Jeter and general manager Brian Cashman have said the 38-year-old shortstop won’t rush back this spring.
* Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra will not attend Yankees spring training this year due to travel restrictions, according to David Kaplan, director of the Yogi Berra Museum.
Kaplan said the 87-year-old’s health was pretty good and Berra, who lives in New Jersey, plans on attending games at Yankee Stadium. Berra’s name was not listed among the guest instructors for Yankees camp and no locker was set aside for Berra’s use.
A visible presence at spring training for many years, the popular 10-time World Series champion had more difficulty walking during camp last year.
Berra had taken several spills in the past few years. Two years ago, he fell at spring training and was taken to a hospital and released the same day. He also missed Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium in 2010 after a fall.
—Additional reporting by the Associated Press