By Dave Holcomb
To the surprise of many, Yankees Shortstop Derek Jeter returned to the lineup on Thursday night, only then to leave the game in the 8th with thigh tightness.
Many fans and so called experts around the league will argue Jeter’s return was premature, and now he is in danger of missing the rest of 2013. With no Mark Teixeira, no Curtis Granderson and perhaps no Alex Rodriguez, no Jeter would be catastrophic to the Yankee cause.
But fans need to realize, Jeter probably felt like he had to make this return. The fact he is the captain of the team obligates him to lead, which he can’t do in AAA.
Everyone knew he wasn’t going to be one hundred percent on Thursday, but even a Jeter at 50 percent would be better than the likes of Luis Cruz, David Adams, and Alberto Gonzalez, players who have played the left side of the infield in Jeter and A-Rod’s absence.
Yankee shortstops are hitting .211 with a .269 on-base percentage without Jeter according to USA Today. Jeter returned as the legend he is, hitting a single in his first at-bat.
Jeter came back on Thursday not because he was ready, but because he realizes his team needs him, and he is the captain of the team.
My only fault with Jeter’s decision to return on Thursday night is the All-Star break is three days away. He could have had an extra eight days off and only missed another four games.
Individual games should not be minimized in baseball, but out of 162, four games are minuscule. The risk of suffering another setback before the break is worth playing in a few games when four days off are looming next week.
But despite a poorly timed comeback, Jeter’s decision to try and play this season, with New York in fourth place and their struggles on offense, is justified.
The Yankee shortstop will get an MRI on his right quadriceps muscle Friday morning. Jeter claimed not to be worried.
“They MRI everything around here,” he said according to USA Today.
With New York’s luck with injured players this season, Yankee fans will be holding their breathe.
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