Jeter gets back into the swing of things

TAMPA, Fla. -- The last time Derek Jeter was spraying batting practice liners around a field, it was before Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, a contest that the Yankees shortstop would not be able to leave under his own power.

Jeter was back in the swing on Monday as the Yankees held their first full-squad workout of the spring. The captain showed off his cuts and went through defensive drills at shortstop, showing no grimaces or limping on his surgically repaired left ankle.

"I felt fine. I felt good," Jeter said. "[It was the] first time I was doing everything on the field in terms of hitting on the field and ground balls on the dirt. Everything went good."

Jeter had been taking grounders on grass only and hitting in the batting cages recently at the Yankees' Minor League complex in Tampa.

He did not run the bases on Monday and said that he has been told to take his progress slowly; Yankees head athletic trainer Steve Donohue has excused him from running drills and stretching on the field with the team for now.

"I thought he looked OK," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "From everything I've heard and everything I've seen, I thought he took his ground balls, he moved, he turned some double plays, and it's kind of what I expected to see right now.

"There's a plan that we'll increase a little bit each day and get stronger each day, and we'll get him in a game when we can."

Jeter said that he is "a couple of weeks behind" where he usually would be at this point of the spring, but is convinced his ankle will not be a problem. He did say that "everything else feels a little rough" as he knocks the winter rust off.

"Everything [is sore]. Where do you want to start?" Jeter said. "Neck. My shoulder. My back. My calf. My foot. I'm just talking about getting in shape in general. You talk to guys who worked out all offseason, the first week of Spring Training, they're sore -- so don't make a big deal out of this."