Derek Jeter is set to make his second return to the lineup Sunday and the Yankees can only hope it goes better than his first.
And as much as the lineup needed him when he made his one-game comeback on July 11, it’s even more desperate now after a 1-0 loss to the Rays yesterday in The Bronx.
Jeter completed his simulated game in Staten Island yesterday in one piece and Joe Girardi expects him to start at shortstop today.
“If he comes in and feels good [today], he will play for us,” Girardi said. “It’s obviously someone we’ve been waiting for for a long time. We had him for one day and we won that game. Hopefully, that ratio continues.”
Jeter will have his work cut out for him.
The Yankees were blanked for the ninth time of the season Staturday and second time in just six days, as they were overwhelmed by Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer.
Jeter’s return figures to help, although he’s already shown that it can be dangerous to rely too much on a 39-year-old shortstop.
Jeter didn’t make it through his first game back from his twice-fractured left ankle before suffering a right quad strain following his late-night call-up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this month.
Girardi seemed confident Jeter is healthy this time after he was tested in yesterday’s simulated game on the day he was eligible to come off the disabled list.
“He ran first to third; singles; second to home,” Girardi said of Jeter, who also had eight at-bats. “He took ground balls. You can be in tremendous shape, but playing shape is a little bit different. We had him do all that. As of right now, he came out of it very well.”
Perhaps having Jeter near the top of the order will help his teammates, including Alfonso Soriano, who went 0-for-3.
“I know the offense is not good right now, but as soon as we put one inning together, I think everything will be fine,” Soriano said after his second game back with the Yankees- who look a lot less powerful than when he left. “I hope we start hitting [today].”
Girardi knows that while they have remained in playoff contention so far, that won’t continue if the offense doesn’t pick up.
“If we’re gonna get back in this race, we’re gonna have to win games,” Girardi said. “We have to start making some headway.”