After 'nightmare' 2013, Jeter feeling refreshed

BOSTON -- Maybe the most encouraging thing that the Yankees can say about Derek Jeter so far this season is that he has looked like himself, which is a refreshing change from the self-described "nightmare" campaign that the captain endured last year.

Jeter entered play on Wednesday batting .298 (17-for-57) with three doubles and four RBIs, and he had reached base safely in each of his first 15 games of the season. He was riding an 11-game hitting streak, which ended with an 0-for-4 collar in the Yanks' 5-1 loss to the Red Sox.

"I feel all right. I'm getting better and better," Jeter said. "This is a game that you need to play every day. It took me a while to feel good, but I'm getting there. I've still got some more progress to make."

Jeter was limited to just 17 games last season; he was in the lineup playing shortstop and batting second on Wednesday for his 16th game of the 2014 campaign.

Jeter had reached base safely in his last 21 games dating back to Sept. 2, 2013, which was tied with the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista for the longest active streak in the Majors.

"I told you, if he was healthy, I thought he'd play well," manager Joe Girardi said. "It was just a matter of how healthy he was going to be, and for the most part, he's been healthy this year. So I think it's kind of what we expected."