EVERYONE’S A JETER FAN: Rontrez Johnson, 7, a young fan of Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, gets an autograph from Derek Jeter as the Yankees shortstop leaves the team’s minor league complex yesterday. (Leah Mills)
EVERYONE’S A JETER FAN: Rontrez Johnson, 7, a young fan of Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, gets an autograph from Derek Jeter as the Yankees shortstop leaves the team’s minor league complex yesterday. (Leah Millis)
Derek Jeter, pictured Tuesday for the first time without a boot to protect his fractured left ankle, is ready to hit the ground running.
The Yankees shortstop has said throughout the offseason he expects to be ready for Opening Day, and Tuesday was more proof his rehab from the injury suffered during the ALCS is moving along.
Jeter, who underwent surgery in October, spent part of the morning at the team’s spring training complex in Tampa, where he has been working out and using an underwater treadmill since earlier this month.
The Bombers captain has yet to step on a field or take grounders and there will be no way of telling what, if any, impact the injury has on him until he passes those tests — but he hasn’t suffered any setbacks thus far.
General manager Brian Cashman said on Saturday the shortstop would not begin baseball-related activity until later in the month and Jeter — along with CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera — will be brought along slowly throughout spring training.
Jeter has been at the facility on nearly a daily basis for the last two weeks, though position players aren’t required to show up for another month.
Judging by the photo, it looks as if he has worked off the weight that he appeared to gain after his surgery. The Post ran a back page picture in December that was headlined “Derek Eater.”
“I thought it was pretty funny,” Jeter said of the photograph. “I guess there’s a lot of things you can do with a picture. The funny thing is we were just talking about, before then, the day or two before then, people were telling me I lost a lot of weight, and then two days later I’m on the front page of the New York Post.”
A full recovery from the injury suffered in Game 1 against the Tigers figures to be crucial for the Yankees’ chances in 2013. They would be thrilled if Jeter could duplicate the offensive success he had a year ago, when he hit .316 and led the American League with 216 hits.
With Alex Rodriguez’s left hip surgery keeping him out until at least July, coupled with the losses of Russell Martin, Nick Swisher and Raul Ibanez to free agency, the Yankees can ill-afford much of a dropoff from their leadoff hitter.
If Jeter isn’t ready, Eduardo Nunez likely will fill in for him at short until his return.