Derek Jeter Out for Remainder of Postseason with Fractured Ankle

The New York Yankees may have escaped the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS, but their luck seems to have run out. In the 12th inning of the Yankees 6-4 Game 1 loss to the Detroit Tigers, New York suffered what could end u being a fatal blow to their World Series hopes. Derek Jeter dove for a ball at shortstop, but he twisted his ankle badly in the process, fracturing it and forcing the Yankee legend to miss the remainder of the postseason.

“His ankle is fractured, so he’s out. He’s out,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after the loss. He went on to state that Jeter will need three months to recover, and the injury is to expected to force Jeter into retirement.

The Yankees reiterated numerous times after the game that they fully expect Jeter to be ready for Spring Training in 2013.

“It’s something that winter will take care of,” GM Brian Cashman said. “I’ve got only limited information and with the shock of the bad news, there wasn’t much dialogue after that.”

But the Yankees are far from concerned with the spring at this point, as they are now down 1-0 in their ALCS matchup with the Tigers. The loss of Jeter is a serious blow to the Yankees who have regularly relied on this generation’s Yankee Clipper to be their pulse in big spots in October. Jayson Nix is expected to take over at shortstop for Jeter for however long the Yankees last in the playoffs.

Cashman, Girardi and Jeter’s former manager Joe Torre were all in the training room with Jeter when he received the devastating news that he’d have to be shutdown for the remainder of the playoffs. This injury brings to mind the injury sustained by Derrick Rose in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs, an injury that not only deflated the No. 1 seeded Chicago Bulls, but took the will and talent out of a Bulls team that lost three of their last four games to be eliminated.

Now, the Yankees are much more talented all around than the Bulls were, but the fact that the pulse and leadership of Jeter is now taken out of the equation, the Yankees can’t be optimistic moving forward. It’s not the first time they Bombers are playing with Jeter out of the lineup, but it’s the first time he’s been taken away from them with so much finality in such a massive spot.

We will see how well the Yankees play without Jeter in the postseason in Game 2, which is on Sunday afternoon. Thankfully for Yankees fans, the Giants play at 4:15 to mend any kind of losing wounds the Yankees inflict.