MLB

Jeter looks good in Yankee Stadium workout

Derek Jeter came back to The Bronx yesterday, and if you didn’t know any better, you would think the Yankees shortstop was fine.

“He looked good to me,” said Jeter’s replacement, Jayson Nix, who was working at shortstop with the veteran before a 7-5 win over the Rays at the Stadium.

“It was the first time I’d seen him take ground balls since spring training,” Nix said. “He looked like he did before he got hurt. He definitely looked a lot better than in the spring.”

According to Nix, Jeter appeared to have more life in his legs.

“Just the spring in his step,” Nix said. “I don’t think that was there when I saw him the last time.”

Jeter was able to move to his left and his right in the field after he went through batting practice and reported no problems.

“I feel good,” Jeter said in front of his locker. “Everything’s been going as good as it can go.”

That is quite a change from earlier in the season, when the shortstop felt discomfort trying to rehab a fractured left ankle suffered during Game 1 of the AL Championship Series last season.

After his workload was cut, he visited North Carolina, where the surgery on his ankle had been performed, and doctors discovered a new fracture that Jeter believes happened before he was scratched from a spring training game in Clearwater, Fla., on March 19.

Still, Jeter — who will turn 39 on Wednesday — won’t really know how he’s doing until he starts running and sprinting. And he’s not sure when that will happen.

“I would assume the next couple of days,” said Jeter, who is scheduled to head back to Tampa after today’s game. “But that’s an assumption, so write down assumption. I don’t want to get in trouble. … I would assume that’s the last step, considering I’ve done everything else.”

He hasn’t had any pain or soreness during this recent rehab and sees no reason why he would be limited offensively or defensively when he returns to the Yankees, despite doubts a player his age can regain his old form.

“It’s not a concern,” Jeter said of whether he was worried he would be affected at short or at the plate. “If I don’t feel anything, then I’m not concerned any more so in one particular area.”

Joe Girardi was pleased to see how much Jeter was able to do.

“It’s a lot better than we were when you look back two weeks ago, four weeks ago,” the manager said. “It’s nice that we get an opportunity to see him. And he’s anxious to be back, so this is good.”

Though there’s no timetable for his return, Jeter is ready to get back.

“It’s tedious,” Jeter said of rehabbing. “It’s not fun. I’m over it now. … The process has been too long. I’ve been doing it since pretty much November or December.”

Which is why he took the quick trip north.

“I wanted to come up,” Jeter said. “You’ve got to break it up. And I wanted to be around the team.”