Jeter suffers setback likely out after All Star Break

Derek Jeter's season, and likely his career is in jeopardy after the latest diagnosis on his left ankle revealed a crack that will keep him out of baseball activity until late July/early August.

Initially the Yankees were hopeful that Jeter would return for Opening Day, but every step of his rehabilitation process featured several setbacks, so much so that the Yankees hoped he would return May 1. However, after cutting down his intake of fielding practice this week, it became clear that the future Hall of Famer will be out longer.

Jeter turns 39-years-old in June, he certainly doesn't need the money, and he already has plenty of milestones from 3,000 hits to five world series rings. He has been the center of the Yankees universe the past 17 years -- the face of the clubs dynasty in the late 1990's.  

Now might be the time for Jeter to call it a career. It has taken him over six months in this recovery from a hideous ankle injury against the Detroit Tigers in game one of last October's ALCS; and it is a fact that as people grow older the longer and harder it is to heal and rehab. Who is to say that Jeter will even be ready to contribute to the big league club come August; he wasn't even ready to participate in a minor league rehab assignment before the crack was revealed.

Jeter is scheduled to meet with Dr. Robert Andrews about the injury, and is to meet with the New York media come next Friday, when the Yankees return home.

The best news regarding the injury is that it will not require surgery, and the crack is expected to heal on its own in four to eight weeks. Thus a comeback is possible, and we can once again seen number 2 grace his presence on the field and end his career in the correct way -- but if Jeter is smart the time may be now to start thinking about life after baseball.