Major League Baseball

Jeter in lineup after hint he might sit

Published Jul. 6, 2011 8:39 p.m. ET

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Derek Jeter asked nicely and changed his manager's mind.

The march toward 3,000 hits won't slow anytime soon.

Four hits shy of the milestone, the Yankees shortstop convinced New York manager Joe Girardi to keep him in the lineup for Wednesday night's game against the Cleveland Indians. Jeter recently returned after missing three weeks with a calf injury, and Girardi wanted to give the 12-time All-Star a day off.

But Jeter, as has always been the case, wanted to play and he talked Girardi into it. It also gives Jeter a chance to move closer toward setting the mark at home - New York opens a four-game series at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night against Tampa Bay that leads into the All-Star break.

''I had to ask,'' Jeter said before the series finale. ''I told him I'm fine and that was pretty much the extent of it. ... He just told me what he was thinking and I told him what I was thinking and we came to a decision.''

Girardi left Progressive Field on Tuesday night leaning toward sitting the 37-year-old Jeter for the series finale. But after speaking with Jeter and a night to sleep on it, Girardi announced the All-Star shortstop's status on the club's Twitter page, YankeesPR, about four hours before game time.

Jeter, who has 2,996 hits, has played in two games since returning from the disabled. He went 0 for 4 in his return Monday, but after he got two hits, including a hard-hit, two-run double, in Tuesday's win, Girardi said he wanted to rest Jeter for at least one game before next week's All-Star break.

Girardi, though, decided to keep his captain in the lineup to continue his quest to become the first Yankee to reach 3,000 hits.

Jeter said he wants to get back into a routine after missing 18 games.

''I always want to play,'' he said. ''When you miss that much time you want to play games.''

Jeter is on deck to become the 28th major leaguer to reach 3,000 hits.

''Yeah, I'd love to do it at home,'' he said. ''We were at home before I got hurt. Now we're on the road, I want to get hits today. I can't think about what's going to happen when we get back home. I'll try to get hits today like I do every other day. If I say I want to do it at home now, what's that saying? I don't want to get a hit every time up?''

New York fans have been harsh on Jeter in the past two years as his productivity has slipped. But the Yankee faithful would relish the chance to see No. 2 make history at home.

Someone wanted to know what would happen if Jeter began Wednesday's game 3-for-3, leaving him at 2,999?

Jeter smiled, waved his hand and shook his head without answering.

On Tuesday night, Jeter said some ''negativity'' had spoiled his chase for 3,000. Now that's he's so close, possibly a game away from the record books, he promised to start enjoying it more.

How does he plan to do that?

''I don't know,'' he said, an answer he gave to several questions about his emotions.

Jeter did say the chase for 3,000 has been difficult.

''It's been hard,'' he said. ''I've been gone, you know what I mean? So my focus has not been on 3,000 hits, my focus has been on trying to get back on the field. I've only been back for a couple days. You play the first game and it's like you never played before, trying to get comfortable.

''I was more comfortable yesterday. Hopefully today, a little bit more.''

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