LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Derek Jeter took a step forward Saturday in getting his left ankle ready for Opening Day.
As the Yankees opened the exhibition season against the Braves at Champion Stadium, Jeter increased his rehab workload at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field.
He participated in the regular stretching program, went through agility drills such as running side to side and ran from the right-field foul line to center field. According to manager Joe Girardi, Jeter ran the bases “slowly.’’
PHOTOS: YANKEES SPRING TRAINING
All those activities were done for the first time this spring. Jeter previously had limited his running to an indoor treadmill and stretching on his own.
“It’s a natural progression, but everything went good. It went fine,” Jeter said. “It’s really nothing much different than what I was doing. It was just at a different pace than everyone else.’’
Jeter took batting practice and participated in defensive drills.
* A winter’s worth of work on his throwing paid off for Francisco Cervelli. The catcher, who is competing against Chris Stewart for the starting job, made a perfect throw to catch Todd Cunningham trying to steal second base in the second inning of yesterday’s 8-3 Yankees exhibition victory.
“In the last three years, I got into bad habits,’’ said Cervelli, who worked with minor league catching coordinator Julio Mosquera during the off-season in Tampa. “Maybe it was frustration or not playing every day. I was rushing, trying to throw the ball too hard. I was trying to get the ball before it got to my glove.’’ Sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at the end of last year’s camp when Stewart was acquired, Cervelli experienced a miserable first two months. Then his parents, Manuel and Damelis, showed up in Buffalo.
“My family told me, ‘You came to the States to play baseball, let’s play,’ ” said Cervelli, whose family lost Damelis’ 54-year-old brother last year. “I would go 0-for-3, and they said, ‘Let’s go, we came to see you hit.’ I work every day for them. I want a better life for them.’’
Girardi reiterated what he wants out of the catchers in a meeting Wednesday.
“I made it clear in the meeting: Defense is No. 1 and we need to play good,’’ Girardi said.
* David Phelps hurled two scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks.
“I was happy with the way I commanded my fastball,’’ said Phelps, who is competing against Ivan Nova for the fifth rotation spot. “I am not trying to beat anybody out, just want to have success and be ready to pitch in any role they ask me.’’
* Zoilo Almonte and Robinson Cano homered for the Yankees. Almonte, a switch-hitting right fielder, threw out Reed Johnson at third in the first inning.
* Adam Warren is scheduled to start Sunday against the Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
* Minor league pitcher Nick Goody suffered a sprained right ankle in a four-car collision Friday in Orlando. He was on crutches with a brace yesterday in the clubhouse.
According to Goody, who pitched for Single-A affiliates Staten Island, Charleston and Tampa last season after being drafted in the sixth round, all four cars were totaled.