Months after Derek Jeter's ankle injury during the baseball playoffs sidelined him, one of the most beloved New York Yankees is back on the field as baseball season approaches.
Yankee fans will remember the agonized look on Jeter's face after he fractured his ankle during Game 1 of the ALCS in October, which ended his season and required surgery.
This week, Jeter was seen in practicing on the field in Tampa, taking swings in the batting cages and fielding 55 ground balls, according to Newsday.
Jeter, who finished seventh in AL MVP voting in 2012, led the majors in hits with 216 last season while batting .316 with 58 RBIs and 15 home runs.
With the expected absence of Alex Rodriguez for a good portion of the season, the Yankees will be depending on their 13-time All-Star shortstop to be in form as they prepare to defend their AL East division crown.
Aside from a dependable bat and solid glove with loads of playoff and championship experience, Jeter brings the poise and leadership skills that have been honed over a 17-year career that has yielded five World Series Championships for New York.
Coming back from surgery, there will undoubtedly be questions around the Yankees shortstop as he tries to regain the form that made him one of the most formidable Yankees in the lineup last season.
So far, Jeter's training regimen has included walking on an underwater treadmill, but he did not run in the 90 minutes he spent at the training facility.
"Everything went well," Jeter told ESPN as he drove out and finished practice for the day.
With his ankle seemingly in better shape, Jeter looks to be in the lineup on Opening Day April 1 when the Yankees play their heated rival the Boston Red Sox.
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