BRADENTON – Derek Jeter’s bothersome right shoulder avoided being invaded by a syringe loaded with cortisone yesterday. And while that’s the initial morsel of good news in Jeter’s week-long saga, the Yankees won’t hesitate to give him a shot today if the wing didn’t come through yesterday’s abbreviated indoor workout in good shape. Jeter could also receive the shot tomorrow if today’s accelerated work load leaves him hurting.
When Jeter told Dr. Allen Miller yesterday his inflamed shoulder was feeling better when he walked into the Legends Field trainers’ room, Miller never reached for the spike.
However, if George Steinbrenner’s $189 million investment feels the affects of yesterday’s brief workout that consisted of nine minutes of soft-toss and taking 41 hacks at balls on a “T” inside because of violent rain storms, the Yankees will inject the pain-killing agent into Jeter’s shoulder.
“[Jeter] was doing well and at this point it’s not necessary,” GM Brian Cashman said of a cortisone shot that he said Saturday was likely to be administered yesterday. “It doesn’t mean there isn’t a possibility we won’t re-visit it, but at this stage [the shoulder is] progressing. The shot discussion was one of what happens if it’s not resolving as quickly as we would like. Well, it’s resolving on the positive side. As long as it continues to do that, the shot won’t be necessary. A better indication will come tomorrow after Jeter’s increases his workout program today.”
After playing catch at 50 feet with hitting coach Gary Denbo first and Triple-A manager Trey Hillman later, Jeter said, “[The workout] was good, I couldn’t throw long because we were in the cage and couldn’t get extension.”
After Jeter threw he worked with Denbo off the “T” and went to the trainer’s room for treatment. If the weather is dry enough today, Jeter will throw harder and farther prior to the Yankees hosting the Braves at Legends Field. Batting practice is also a possibility. Jeter admitted that ever since he injured himself lifting weights in early January he has felt the inflamed AC joint when he threw. Thanks to a medrol dosepack, the anti-inflammatory drug he is taking, Jeter felt nothing yesterday during the workout. However, he isn’t set to declare himself ready for his exhibition season debut.
“Yeah, it was good,” Jeter said. “We will wait until [today] to see how it goes. They say [the injury’s] no big deal, that it’s nothing that affects your throwing. They are trying to get it out of there with anti-inflammatory medicine and we will take it from there.”
Since Joe Torre scratched Jeter from an intrasquad game a week ago, he has maintained if this was June, Jeter would be playing. So, Torre hasn’t been concerned his best player has missed a week. Still, Torre was glad to hear that the anti-inflammatory drug is getting results.
“I feel relieved because evidently the course of treatment is working,” Torre said. “Some times with these things you have to take two or three different things before something catches. What [trainer Gene Monahan] has [Jeter] on seems to be making some headway. Plus, the rest factor, that’s a part of it, too.”
Torre is also confident that Jeter understands games in March can’t help a team win a pennant. Therefore, Torre believes Jeter, who loathes sitting out any type of game, will be totally honest with the club as to how he feels.
“He is not going to invest what he invested this week and sit down and not be available for us later on at 100 percent,” Torre said. “I talked to him today to see how he felt and he only needs 10 days [to get ready] said.
