Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees’ captain, has a small crack in his surgically repaired left ankle, a setback that will keep him sidelined until after the All-Star break.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made the announcement before Thursday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jeter originally dislocated the ankle in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series in October.
“We have to back off and let that heal,” Cashman said of the small crack in the bone. “This is obviously a setback. We are looking at, in terms of speculating on when Derek might be back with us, you are looking at some point after the All-Star break.”
Cashman said Jeter will not need another surgery. Jeter’s surgeon, Dr. Robert Anderson, who diagnosed the shortstop in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday, told Cashman that “95 percent” of the people who have this injury come back from it fine.
Cashman said the crack will take from four to eight weeks to heal. Jeter, who turns 39 in June, will then need close to a full spring training before he will be ready to play in a major league game.
Originally, the Yankees were optimistic that Jeter would be ready for Opening Day, but his rehabilitation has been marred by setbacks. Jeter took this past weekend off, and the Yankees cut the amount of groundballs he was fielding to try to limit the impact on the ankle. On Wednesday, he went for the previously unscheduled trip to Charlotte.
“He is obviously the toughest one we have ever had,” Cashman said. “You know when Derek Jeter continues to have issues that don’t go away, then it means more than just your typical something, I guess. That is what led to the follow-up.”
