Jeter: I kept stress fracture secret from Yankees higher ups

Derek Jeter claims he already knew he had a stress fracture in his left foot before he broke it in Game 1 of the ALCS last October — but kept it a secret from the Yankees.

Manager Joe Girardi said he never heard that term associated with Jeter's foot, which took a pounding by foul balls late last season, reported The New York Post.

General manager Brian Cashman was also kept in the dark about Jeter's "bone bruise" and said he doesn't know what happened between the bruise and the break which ended the shortstop's season and led to the operating table.

If you're looking for some dirt on the Yankees captain — this little white lie is probably as good as it gets.

"They told me it was a bone bruise and I am not going to ask them to look at it again, and eventually it turned into a stress fracture and broke in half," Jeter said about his left ankle. "If you play, you play. I don’t think you talk about injuries because then it’s an excuse. I was told I was able to play. Unfortunately it broke, but I would do the same thing over again if I had to."

The stress fracture was news to Girardi.

"I was not aware of it," Girardi said of Jeter talking about a stress fracture. "I am not aware of what he is talking about. I knew he had the bone bruise."

Girardi said if he knew the bone bruise could have led to a broken ankle, "We wouldn’t have been playing him if that was the case."

Cashman was also clueless.

"The bone bruise got worse and led to the break," he said. "What happened in between, I couldn't tell you."

Despite remnants of a limp and only light running on a treadmill, the 38-year-old Jeter is gearing up for Opening Day on April 1 and believes he'll be ready.

"Why wouldn’t it be realistic? I broke my ankle in October. It has been quite some time," Jeter said about making it back for the April 1 opener against the Red Sox. "I’m right where I’m supposed to be up until this point, the ankle has healed perfectly. Now it is just a matter of getting everything else in shape. I will have to push myself, but Opening Day is the goal."

If you can't trust Derek Jeter, who can you trust?  Oops, never mind.

'Sensitive' Swisher says Yankees fans blaming him for Jeter's injury

Nick Swisher is a lot of different things to a lot of different people — overrated agitator to opponents or pie-throwing cheerleader to his teammates. But one thing the gregarious New York Yankees slugger never thought he would be is an outcast with his beloved Bleacher Creatures out in right field.

Now it looks like the crowd favorite is hearing things from the fans he's never heard before — and they run deeper than just his performance at the plate.

"(Saturday) night was pretty big.  A lot of people saying a lot of things I've never heard before," Swisher said Sunday after the Yankees punchless 3-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the ALCS.  "Prime example — I missed that ball in the lights [in Game 1] and next thing you know, I'm the reason that Jeter got hurt.  It's kind of frustrating. They were saying it [Jeter's injury] was my fault."

There were even several inappropriate tweets about him to his wife, actress JoAnna Garcia.

"It's a crazy game.  Being here in New York, obviously there's a lot of expectations," said Swisher.  "I don't know what to say, bro.  I'm just going to kind of let it go."

Swisher is one of the most popular players among Yankees fans — especially among the Bleacher Creatures who usually call Swish one of their own, but he has been struggling over the postseason (batting .154 with one RBI through seven games) and has become one of the least productive postseason players in recent history.  A .167 batting average (25-for-150) with 44 strikeouts attest to that fact.

"It hurts," he said.  "Sometimes I'm a sensitive guy.  Some of the things people say, they get under your skin a little bit but hey, I've been lucky to be here for the last four years, and we're not going to go down like this.

"I'm one of those guys that you give me a hug and I'll run through a brick wall for you.  Right now it seems like there's a lot of ... I'm trying to find a way to word this the right way, it's tough.  Because you want to play for your city, you want to play for your team.  Just right now, it's just really tough."

While it doesn't sound like Swisher will be getting any cuddles from fans, manager Joe Girardi isn't showing him any love either.

Swisher was dropped to the eighth spot in the lineup Sunday — the lowest he's batted since last year.

The slumping Swisher might want to pick his verbal battles with the Yankees fans under better circumstances.

Game 2 could be the lasting image they have of the pending free-agent wearing pinstripes in the Bronx if the Yankees don't win two games in Detroit.  There's nothing worse than leaving your former sweetheart(s) an angry breakup message on the answering machine.

"It's not about me," Swisher said when asked about his postseason struggles.  "It's about the team."

Jeter carried from Yankee Stadium field with fractured ankle

The real loss for the for the New York Yankees in Saturday night's ALDS Game 1 against the Detroit Tigers wasn't on the scoreboard, it was the sight of Derek Jeter being carried off the infield with a fractured left ankle.

Manager Joe Girardi confirmed his shortstop's season-ending injury immediately after the game and bluntly said, "He won't be back this postseason."

Jeter rolled the ankle going left for Jhonny Peralta's routine ground ball in the 12th inning.  He let out a scream before flipping the ball to second base.

The sight of Jeter being carried off the field by Girardi and trainer Gene Monahan stunned and silenced the crowd for a moment until the chants of "Derek Jeter!" filled Yankee Stadium.

At first, Girardi said the prideful Jeter refused help and even told his manager, "No.  Don't carry me."

But the pain was more than the Captain could bear and he was helped to the dugout without putting any weight on his foot.

It was another exciting comeback by the Yankees.  Raul Ibanez's two-run homer tied the game in the ninth inning after the Yankees were down 4-0. The Tigers scored 2 runs in the 12th inning for a 6-4 victory.

At first, Girardi said the fracture was not related to Jeter's recent bone bruise in the same foot but later said it was a possibility. The manger claims the injury isn't career ending.

Still, a playoff series in Yankee Stadium won't feel the same without the name Jeter pencilled in the lineup.