Derek Jeter Will Play in Stadium Finale

When Brett Gardner plated the winning run in yesterday’s game, Yankee fans rejoiced because they were getting a last chance to cheer for their team in their stadium’s final week.

It could have been an entirely different tone last night if the guy Gardner replaced hadn’t been able to go today. See, Gardner pinch ran for Derek Jeter in the bottom of the ninth after he was hit on the left hand—the same hand he took a hit on back in May right before he went into a terrible slump.

Jeter was sent to the hospital after the game, but, fortunately for the Yankees and their final day, tests came back negative and the captain should be good enough to play tonight.

When I say "good enough to play," I mean there are no broken bones, so he will play. It takes a lot to get Jeter out of a game. Back in May when he did take the shot on his hand, Jeter came back and played the very next day, even though he went into such a bad slump that many people look back at it and think that there might have been something worse than he let on.

Now that it's confirmed that nothing is broken in his hand, there will be nothing stopping him from playing in tonight’s game. It’s a good thing, too, because it seems impossible that the Yankees would allow the stadium to close with their leader and captain sitting on the bench.

When Jeter was lifted in the ninth for Gardner everyone took a deep breath. Well, it’s safe to breathe: he’ll play tonight.

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