Jeter to begin rehab stint Thursday

NEW YORK -- Yankees captain Derek Jeter is scheduled to begin his latest Minor League rehabilitation assignment on Thursday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, taking the field at shortstop in a 7:05 p.m. ET game against Pawtucket.

Jeter is recovering from a Grade 1 strain of his right calf. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Jeter's workout on Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., included running the bases, and that he was cleared to begin his rehab.

Girardi said that he expects Jeter to play at least two games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It is possible that Jeter, who has played in just five Major League games this season, could to rejoin the Yankees on Saturday against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

"As I've said, we'll just go day by day and see how he responds each day," Girardi said. "The plan, I think, is for him to play five innings in the field tomorrow."

Jeter was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 5, retroactive to Aug. 3, marking his third stint on the DL this season.

The 39-year-old has also been sidelined by a small fracture in his left ankle and a right quadriceps strain this season, missing 121 team games after combining to miss just 82 team games over his five prior career DL trips.