BOSTON (AP) -Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter may miss the weekend series against the Boston Red Sox and New York general manager Brian Cashman didn’t rule out placing the team captain on the disabled list with a strained left thigh.
Jeter has been sidelined since hurting his quadriceps last Monday. He was replaced by Alberto Gonzalez in the lineup Friday night for the opener of the three-game series against Boston.
“I would assume that he would be out for this series, myself,” Cashman said before the game. “We’ll evaluate it every day. He’ll tell you that he’s not, but I’m just going to assume he’s out for the series.”
Jeter stretched and threw before the game, which started in a drizzle. More rain is expected Saturday,
“It’s not the greatest weather conditions and it’s going to get chillier as the three days go on,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “So, does it play completely into it? No, but it doesn’t help it.”
Cashman said he was looking toward Jeter returning on Monday for the start of a two-game series at Tampa Bay. But there’s a chance he could go on the disabled list.
“It’s one of those in-betweeners,” Cashman said. “Because it’s not a clear-cut DL, if we can get him back in day 7, 8 or even 9 and assure ourselves that he’s going to be healthy, then we’ll just wait it out.”
He also discussed the unlikely possibility of moving Alex Rodriguez from third base to shortstop if Jeter is sidelined for an extended period.
“If it’s something like two, three months like when Derek dislocated his shoulder (in the 2003 opener), would we consider the idea of Alex? Then that would be the scenario that we would at least consider that. I’m not saying we would do it,” Cashman said.
“He hasn’t played shortstop since 2003,” he said. “Thankfully, that’s not a scenario that we’re apt to deal with.”
Catcher Jorge Posada started at designated hitter for the second straight game after sitting out Wednesday night’s game at Kansas City with a sore right shoulder. He grounded out to first base on his first at-bat. Jose Molina started at catcher and grounded out in the third.
Cashman said it’s unlikely Posada will go on the disabled list.
“He can be a backup (catcher) here for a period of time and then assume the starting role when he’s feeling better,” Cashman said. “He’s still going to have to get over the final hurdle of throwing again like he was used to without restriction, with full force.
“Even though the MRIs have made us feel comfortable, at this point he’s got to get back on the field … doing the job that will allow us to forget that this episode even took place.”
Posada allowed five steals in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss at Kansas City and left in the sixth inning with what was described as a “dead arm.”
Cashman said Posada felt better after throwing before Friday’s game.
“The rest is important with his arm as well,” Girardi said. If “he has to make a throw off-balance it could set him back another couple of weeks and that’s what we don’t want. Our plan right now is if we’re going to play him, we’re going to DH him and see how it progresses day-to-day.”
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