TRENTON — There was good news and bad news resulting from Derek Jeter’s second rehab game last night.
The good news is Jeter’s right calf is healthy, and he will rejoin the Yankees tonight in Cleveland. The bad news is that the Hall of Fame-bound captain did not play particularly well during the Trenton Thunder’s 8-1 loss to the Altoona Curve in front of club-record 9,212 fans at Waterfront Park.
“He’s good to go,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “I haven’t talked to Joe [Girardi] about it, but I think [today] he’s ready to go, so he’ll play [today].”
Jeter left the game after six innings because, he said, “I have a plane to catch” to Cleveland. Once Jeter is activated, he will resume his chase of the 3,000 hits. He is currently six shy of the milestone.
Jeter finished 1-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk last night, committed an error at shortstop and nearly made a second. He was not pleased with his performance.
“What did you think?” Jeter asked. “I got through it. How about that?”
Wearing the Thunder’s Independence Day alternate uniform that looks like an American flag, Jeter worked a walk in the first inning and advanced to third on an error before getting stranded.
On the error — a soft line drive to the shortstop — Jeter was retreating to first when the play was botched. He had to slam on the brakes and his right foot slid in the rain-soaked dirt before he raced to second and around to third with his typically graceful stride.
That Jeter’s calf withstood such a play is evidence of its health.
“It’s good to move in different directions, stop, start,” Jeter said. “It’s a good way to test things because there’s really no way to practice that, so I’m happy I was able to get through it and feel fine.”
With two outs in the second and runners on second and third, Jeter struck out on three pitches.
In the fifth, Jeter — still looking to get his timing back after nearly three weeks on the DL — gave up a chance to get in some swings and curiously bunted with runners on first and second with the Thunder trailing 5-0. He beat it out for a hit, more evidence he is healthy.
“That’s something I would do during the course of the season, so why not do it here?” Jeter said.
Jeter was not sharp defensively. He made a throwing error in the fifth. In the second, he almost made an error when he misplayed a ball that should have been an easy double play. He recovered in time to get the force at second.