Derek Jeter returned to the Yankees lineup on Thursday for the first time since the 2012 playoffs. Coming off a broken ankle, Jeter singled in his first at-bat.
But apparently his return wasn’t quite meant to be, as Jeter suffered a thigh muscle injury and required a pinch-hitter early on. But despite his injury, the veteran Yankee drove in and scored one run in an 8-4 victory against the Royals.
Jeter is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Friday to make sure his right quadriceps muscle is not badly damaged. And while the player seemed upbeat about the checkup, the Yankees are likely thinking a worst-case scenario.
Manager Joe Girardi, who has suffered the losses of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez , Curtis Granderson, and Mark Teixeira due to injury this season, stated, “It’s kind of what we’ve went through this year. Hopefully it’s nothing.”
The Yankees have a team filled with accomplished players. But the problem lies with the veteran players who have been plagued by injury. Jeter commented, “We’re all getting older here. Age doesn’t creep into my mind when I’m playing. Maybe in the mornings, but not while I’m playing.” Derek Jeter added of his new injury :
“It just tightened up a little bit, so hopefully it’s not a big deal. 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.”
Before his quad injury, Derek Jeter was excited about his return to the Yankees lineup. After missing the team’s first 91 games, Jeter commented, “I couldn’t wait. Ever since I got hurt in October, I was thinking about the first at-bat.”
Jeter’s return was exciting to him and surprising to fans. The Yankees previously said they wanted to see him play back-to-back games as shortstop in the minors before they brought him back. But unforeseen circumstances changed the plan, allowing Jeter to make his return to the majors earlier than planned.
Were you glad to see Derek Jeter return to the Yankees, even though he suffered an injury?
[Image by Keith Allison via Wikimedia Commons ]