The Yankees were thrilled to have captain Derek Jeter back in the lineup on Thursday against the Royals, but that happiness was short-lived as the shortstop left the game early with a quad injury and now will face an MRI.
According to ESPN.com, Jeter came out of the game after feeling some tightness in his quad and despite the injury, manager Joe Girardi said that Jeter felt good entering the game and that he was ready to play. Jeter said that he hopes it isn't serious, as he is playing for the first time since injuring his ankle last year in the playoffs. The Yankees got a much needed win 8-4 against the Royals and now the MRI will tell the tale.
Jeter felt it in his third at-bat of the game and came out after and said it felt stiff. Jeter was out for the first 91 games of the season after fracturing his ankle and now he was back for one before dealing with an injury issue. Jeter had an encouraging infield single in the first and scored a run and looked solid as he came back for the first time. He also showed he could go first to third and he also added an RBI later in the game.
Jeter came back a bit sooner than expected since both Brett Gardner and designated hitter Travis Hafner were injured and now there is a chance that he could miss more time. The Yankees wanted him back badly and while the MRI could be serious, everyone is holding out hope that it isn't. On other injury fronts, A-Rod is still not ready to return and may need more time for rehabbing.
"It just tightened up a little bit, so hopefully it's not a big deal," Jeter said. "It's not frustrating yet. We'll see. They MRI everything around here. I'm going to get an MRI and we'll find out, but I hope it's not a big deal. I don't ever think anything is a big deal, so I'm hoping for the best."
