Remember To Take It Slow With Jeter

I've said this before.  I'm going to say it again now that Derek Jeter is returning to game action tonight for Triple-A SWB.  Don't get too excited about 1 game.  This needs to be a slow process in getting him all the way back and the Yankees have already been here before.  About 4 months ago, the Yankees and Jeter were in this same situation and all it took was 5 games - just the last 2 consecutively and only a few in the field - for Jeter to be shut down and eventually diagnosed with the re-break in his ankle.  That setback cost him 3 months of the season already and probably 4 when he finally is able to come back, and the Yankees can't afford to make that same mistake twice.

We know how the shortstop position has been one rotating cast of suck this season, and we know there wasn't any stability added to it by today's return of Eduardo Nunez because of another injury bug bite to Jayson Nix.  He's been placed on the DL with a Grade-2 hamstring strain, an injury that usually leaves guys out for at least a month.  But that can't be motivation enough to try to push Jeter back when that method has already failed once.

The Yankees need Derek Jeter back.  No question about that.  They also need a healthy Derek Jeter back, and the best way to ensure that is to take it slow with his MiL rehab and not over-do it trying to get him on the field ASAP.  It's great that he's back on a baseball field playing for real.  It'll be greater if he can stay on the field this time.