MLB

Jeter hurts ankle, vows to play for Yankees tonight

BOSTON — Derek Jeter called the bone bruise in his left ankle a “non-issue” last week at Tampa Bay.

That’s more difficult to believe now since he was forced to leave last night’s 5-4 win over the Red Sox after aggravating the injury in the eighth inning.

Still, the shortstop said he would be back in the lineup tonight at Fenway Park.

“I don’t talk about injuries,” Jeter said. “I’m playing, so it’s not an issue.”

Clearly, though, it is.

Jeter came up limping after lunging to try to beat out an inning-ending, double-play grounder to second.

Trainer Steve Donohue and manager Joe Girardi raced out to Jeter, who bent over down the right-field line and briefly tried to plead his case to stay in the game. He quickly relented and was replaced at shortstop by Jayson Nix.

“It’s something he’s been dealing with,” Girardi said. “There’s not a lot you can do with it. Knowing Derek he will try [to play tonight].”

Girardi first mentioned Jeter’s injury on September 5, when Jeter was obviously in discomfort chasing a pop-up in short right field. The manager said he first tweaked it the previous game while running to first.

He has been hobbled ever since.

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“It’s really not that bad,” Jeter said. “I told them I was all right, but we had some extra guys. … I told them I was fine, but they told me to put ice on it. That was basically the extent of the conversation.”

Perhaps for last night, it was. But with the Yankees fighting for their playoff lives and already missing Mark Teixeira (out indefinitely with a strained left calf), a prolonged absence by Jeter could be devastating.

With two more singles last night, he is one hit away from tying Willie Mays for 10th on the all-time list at 3,283 and he passed Mel Ott for 12th all time in runs scored with his 1,860th.

Jeter and the Yankees, though, are more concerned with the present. He’s hitting .324 and leads the majors with 194 hits.

“He always plays hurt,” Robinson Cano said. “I was concerned. That’s a guy who never leaves a game.”

If Jeter does miss time, Eduardo Nunez could see time at short.

“I’ve been working there all the time in case he isn’t there,” the mistake-prone Nunez said. “We don’t want him to go down. We need him, but I’ll be here if they need me.”

dan.martin@nypost.com