Yankees' Jeter On Ankle Injury: 'I'm Playing, So It's Not An Issue'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Derek Jeter knows what's at stake in these final 20 games, and he's not about to watch the Yankees' playoff push from the bench.
The Yankees captain pulled up in the eighth inning against the Red Sox with what he described, NHL-style, as a "lower leg" issue. Manager Joe Girardi said it was a bone bruise in Jeter's left ankle, aggravated when he tried to leg out an inning-ending double play on Wednesday night.
But no matter. The shortstop expects to be on the field for the series finale Thursday, as the Yankees cling to their share of the AL East lead.
"I don't talk about injuries," Jeter said after the 5-4 win. "Either you play or you don't. I'm playing, so it's not an issue. At this point in the season, I'm sure there are a lot of guys that have some things bothering them. I'm really never one to talk about them."
In obvious discomfort, Jeter campaigned to stay in the game -- to no avail.
"I told him I was fine, really," Jeter said of his conversation with Girardi. "I said, 'I'm fine to stay in,' and he said, 'Go in and put ice on it.' That was basically the extent of the conversation. We were winning at the time and I came out. It's really nothing more than that."
Girardi said Jeter has been "hobbled a little bit" cutting around the bases.
"It's just something he has to deal with," the manager said. "I asked him after the game how he was, and he said, 'Great.' That's usually his response all the time."
Jeter, who added two hits Wednesday to his league-leading total (194), insisted he'll be "fine."
End of discussion.
"I'm not going to sit here and talk about it," he said. "My opinion is you play or you don't play. If you play, why talk about it?"
Do you think Jeter needs to stop playing the hero and rest up for a game or two? Be heard in the comments below...
