Derek Jeter will be back in pinstripes Thursday afternoon as the New York Yankees face the Kansas City Royals and desperately need some offensive presence in their lineup. Where will he play? How will Jeter contribute to the Yankees?
Jeter is expected to hit second as the designated hitter. Though the weather in New York doesn't look too favorable, over in Scranton, the weather calls for rain. Yankees' general manager, Brian Cashman, figured it would be best to call up the 18-year veteran and have him play in the majors rather than waste a day of rehab.
"After the game last night, after (Travis) Hafner got hurt, we looked at the weather patterns and I just decided to make the move for today. Derek was scheduled to DH in Scranton, so I figured, he could DH and sit around in the rain in Scranton, or he can DH and sit around in the rain in the Bronx. We chose the Bronx," Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor.
You might be wondering, how many times has Jeter DH'd in his career? The answer would be a total of 54 times, 25 of which came in 2012 as the Yankees noticed they couldn't get over 150 games out of their captain if he also played defense on the field.
It is important to point out that the Yankees are currently in fourth place in the A.L. East as Jeter gets ready to return. Does Captain Clutch have enough Yankee Magic to right an injury-plagued ship to first place? Jeter has accomplished many feats in the past with a resume stacked with game-saving plays and game-winning hits. With a 49-42 record, the Yankees will need plenty of those in the second half to overcome their lack of power and offense, and the six game deficit against the first place Boston Red Sox.
This will be Jeter's return from his ankle injury in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers. Since Jeter's departure from the Yankees, they have gone 49-46, including the playoffs. As Jeter makes his season debut, he will be playing his 19th season with the Yankees at age 39.
