Yanks Planning To Run Jeter Into The Ground Now?

(Courtesy of the AP)

That Derek Jeter is out of the lineup again and possibly heading back to the disabled list for leg issues is not surprising.  He's battled them since first starting his comeback from ankle surgery in Spring Training and 2013 has all but turned into a lost season for him because of it.  Based on comments made by Joe before and after last night's game, the Yankees' possible plan to handle Jeter moving forward does come as a bit of a surprise.


“We’re at that time of year when we can’t really afford to say, take 25 days.  We can’t do that.”

"We’ll see how he is tomorrow and go from there.  I’m not so sure what we’re going to do just because of where we’re at this time of year.”

With Jeter himself saying he felt like he could have played through the injury and the Yankees' postseason situation become more desperate by the day, it sounds like at least he and Joe are open to the idea of just letting him play and seeing what happens.  If he gets hurt worse and ends up back on the DL, so be it.  A much less than 100% Jeter is still probably the team's best option at short, and if Joe gives him enough DH days and full rest days maybe his legs will hold up well enough to keep him on the field for the final 50+ games.  From strictly the standpoint of keeping up appearances that the team is doing everything to contend, that move would make sense.

Looking at things from a higher level though, this approach could put an appropriate end to the absolutely horrible way the Yankees have managed this injury.  From allowing Jeter to over-exert himself in the spring to bringing him back quickly from the ankle re-break when he clearly wasn't physically ready to playing him multiple days in a row on a bad quad, bad calf, and possibly still bad ankle, every step taken has gone against what the team originally said they would do and against basic logic when it comes to handling older injured players.  Ankle injuries are no joke, just ask David Adams or Ravel Santana or Stephen Drew or Jason Kendall.  None of them were as old as Jeter when they got hurt, so why would the Yankees expect Jeter to come back quicker and easier than them?

The Yankees have botched managing Jeter's injury and comeback and in doing so they've left themselves in this "do or die" position with him that could ultimately end up negatively impacting his health and performance capability next year.  Add in the questionable decisions in managing Youkilis and Teix's comebacks and it's been a banner year of incompetence for the Yankees in handling their old roster.