It sounds like it will be a one-game hiatus at shortstop for Derek Jeter.
After fouling a ball off his left foot in Game 3 of the ALDS, Jeter hobbled badly during the game and was eventually removed for defense. It was a question whether he would play in last night’s Game 4, but Jeter did, albeit as the DH. Jayson Nix manned shortstop, ending a remarkable streak –going back to Game 1 of the 1996 ALDS, Jeter had started 155 straight Yankee playoff games at short.
Jeter said last night, though, that he expects to be back playing shortstop in today’s do-or-die Game 5 against the Orioles.
“That’s the plan,” Jeter said.
Last night, Jeter seemed to be moving better. Sporting a black protective guard on his foot, the 38-year-old appeared to be running decently enough, an encouraging sign. Also encouraging was that Jeter, who went 2-for-6 last night, delivered an important double to start the sixth inning, sparking the Yankees to the game-tying run.
“My foot was good [last night],” Jeter said.
Said Girardi, “My hope is he can play shortstop [today], but I’ll have to wait and see, kind of like I had to [yesterday].”
Jeter, who also suffered a bone bruise to the left foot late in the season (he says the new one is in a different spot), fouled two pitches off the foot in the seventh inning last night. That probably didn’t help in his recovery.
“It hit pretty much everything but the same spot,” Jeter said.
In the ninth inning, Girardi pinch hit for Nix but opted to use Eduardo Nunez at shortstop for the final four innings rather than go with Jeter. Jeter said he did not have any conversations with Girardi about it at the time, and Girardi explained his decision, saying, “I didn’t want to lose our DH.”
Should Jeter need to DH going forward (either tonight or possibly in the ALCS if the Yankees win tonight), that would hamper the Yankee lineup substantially. Nix is hardly an elite hitter, so if Girardi has to use him to play shortstop and slot Jeter as the DH, that would mean Raul Ibanez or Nunez can’t be in the lineup.
mark.hale@nypost.com