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Could one of rookie manager Joe Girardi's biggest early-season moves involve shifting New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez back to shortstop?

Such a move became a possibility Monday night when starting shortstop Derek Jeter was forced from a 6-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays with a strained left quadriceps.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez last started a game at shortstop in his final season with Texas in 2003.
(Kathy Willens/Associated Press)

"There's a lot of different scenarios we would talk about as a club," Girardi told the New York Post. "Right now we're just keeping our fingers crossed it won't be too long. We'll talk about internally and let [everybody] know."

Rodriguez, who broke into the majors as a shortstop in 1994 with the Seattle Mariners, last started a game at shortstop in his final season with the Rangers (2003).

Rodriguez was asked to change positions when he was acquired by the Yankees from Texas in a February 2004 trade.

Jeter, who has missed just 14 games in the previous two seasons, will miss at least three contests with the left-leg injury, but he's not expected to land on the disabled list.

"He probably won't be available this series," Girardi said Tuesday before the New York played the Kansas City Royals. "We'll shoot for the [Boston] Red Sox series. We'll see where he's
at after a couple of days and try to make an evaluation then."

Jeter said he hurt the muscle running before Monday's game and that the pain was "not that bad at all." He left after two innings.

"I haven't tried to do anything yet. I've got to go in the trainers room and see what they tell me," he said.

Wilson Betemit will fill in for Jeter on Tuesday. He started Monday's game at first base and shifted to shortstop in the third inning after Jeter departed.

The Yankees may call up Alberto Gonzalez from the triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees to help out defensively if Jeter requires a longer rest.

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