For many major league baseball teams, qualifying for the playoffs would be a remarkable achievement, but the New York Yankees were less than thrilled with what they’ve achieved in 2012. They were eliminated by Detroit and the team played poorly in that series, with some of the most important players underperforming. Derek Jeter broke his ankle in early October and that kept him away from the pitch for the remaining season, but he now seems fit to play.

Some claim that the Yankees star has gained a lot of weight and he is not in the best form, but with more than a month until the regular season kicks off he has plenty of time to rebound. The Yankees are going to start the new season with a very difficult series against archrivals Boston, and they will need to field the best possible team to win. For the time being Derek Jeter is kept mostly on the bench and he only runs on the treadmill but the specialists claim that he will be able to start in early April.

There are some bad news as well, as some rumors state that Derek Jeter is also suffering from a stress fracture which could result in a new injury if not handled properly. Some speculate that if he would’ve been kept on the bench in late September when the first signs of injury appeared, he wouldn’t have suffered from the broken ankle and could’ve powered the Yankees into the finals. The recovery window is narrow and constantly shrinking, so unless Derek stops limping before April 1, the New Yorkers will be pit against a difficult decision.

Another reason of concern is Jeter’s age, because at 39 years he is no longer in his prime and any injury can have devastating consequences. He needs to be careful but at the same time must play his best as a shortstop so he won’t turn from an asset into a liability. The Yankees need him on the pitch so even if the is not 100% recovered, we shouldn’t be surprised to see their inspirational captain playing this spring.