Yanks: Jeter likely back by ’13 opener
Shortstop set to have surgery Saturday on ankle broken in ALCS
DETROIT The New York Yankees are optimistic that Derek Jeter will be ready to play on opening day next season, though he might be cutting it closer with his recovery than originally thought.
The shortstop and team captain will have surgery on his broken left ankle Saturday in Charlotte. Foot and ankle specialist Robert Anderson, who examined Jeter on Tuesday, will perform the operation.
The Yankees said Wednesday in a news release about Jeter’s surgery that it would be four to five months before he would be ready to play. The team originally had said the recovery time was expected to be three months after he was injured in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday in New York.
If it takes five months before Jeter can see game action, he will have less than two weeks to play in spring training games in preparation for the Yankees’ opener against the visiting Boston Red Sox on April 1.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, speaking before Game 4 of the ALCS on Wednesday at Comerica Park, expressed little concern about Jeter’s availability for opening day.
“I believe Dr. Anderson just put in a more conservative time frame on it, as explained to me,” Cashman said. “Nothing seemed worse than what our team doctor saw. My understand- ing is that it’s possible he will be ready earlier than that time frame, but it is best to at least put out four to five months as a safer bet.”
Though Jeter is 38 and will be coming off a serious injury, Cashman said adding insurance at shortstop will not be an offseason priority. Cashman expressed faith in backups Eduardo Nunez and Jayson Nix.
“I wouldn’t think that that’s some- thing I would gravitate to,” Cashman said of adding a shortstop.
Shortstops will be scarce in free agency as the Oakland Athletics’ Stephen Drew tops a list that includes the Detroit Tigers’ Jhonny Peralta and the New York Mets’ Ronny Cedeno.
Nunez spent most of this season in the minor leagues and hit .292 with one home run in 38 games with the Yankees.
However, Nunez broke up Justin Verlander’s bid for a shutout in Game 3 on Tuesday when he capped an eight-pitch at-bat by lining a home run to lead off the ninth inning.
Nunez was scheduled to be the Yankees’ starting shortstop for the second consecutive game in Game 4.
Nix, who has played for five teams in his five-year major league career, started Game 2. He hit .243 with four homers in 74 regular-season games.
Jeter will be one of two likely future Hall of Famers returning from a serious injury when the Yankees begin spring training in Tampa in mid-February.
Closer Mariano Rivera, 42, baseball’s all-time saves leader, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee May 3 while shagging fly balls during batting practice before a game in Kansas City and had reconstructive surgery.