Not having heard otherwise, it is safe to assume Derek Jeter came through batting practice OK and will be at the top of the Yankees' lineup when they come to bat in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox in about a half hour.

According to Joe Girardi, Jeter said he felt "Great!" when he came into the clubhouse this afternoon, but the manager admitted, "He's a tough guy to read," and said he would wait until after BP to see if he needed to make a change in his lineup.

But Jeter, who did not appear in the pregame clubhouse -- he was presumably in the trainer's room being treated by Steve Donohue -- took his swings seemingly without incident and Eduardo Nunez, who is playing shortstop in Jeter's place, took ground balls with the starting infield.

"I know when he says he feels great he doesn’t really feel great," Girardi said. "For him a lot of times a better question is, 'Is it tolerable?' He usually finds a way to get through it."

At 38 years old, Jeter leads all of baseball in hits (194) and the Yankees in batting (.324) and Girardi acknowledged that of all the injuries his team has suffered this year, the loss of Jeter might be the most difficult to overcome.

"We’d have to find a way but we’ve all seen what he’s been able to do," Girardi said. "He’s been our leadoff guy all year. I started thinking about what I would do if he wasn't able to play today. There’s a lot of questions that go through your head when you think that, and I’m just glad I don't have to answer them right now. So I hope he plays."