TORONTO -- Never has a victory felt so hollow.
Only three innings into their season opener, the New York Yankees lost indispensable shortstop Derek Jeter to a significant injury Monday night. Jeter dislocated his left shoulder in a freak collision with Toronto catcher Ken Huckaby at third base, of all places.
Jeter's shoulder was popped back into place in the trainer's room but the extent of the damage was not immediately known. X-rays showed no fractures, but Jeter will undergo an MRI examination Thursday to see if there is ligament or tendon damage, which would sideline him for an extended period.
"He's a tough kid. Hopefully, we'll get him back in some short period of time, hopefully a month," said manager Joe Torre. "But I'm just guessing. Nobody has told me anything."
The injury took the joy out of an 8-4 romp by the Yankees that featured career victory No. 294 for right-hander Roger Clemens, a grand slam by Alfonso Soriano, and the major league debuts of international stars Hideki Matsui and Jose Contreras.
Asked if he thought he was done for the season after his shoulder popped forward out of the socket, Jeter said, "Those things cross your mind, especially when you do something for the first time."
"I felt something pop. I didn't know if it was broken. It hurts, just sitting here," said Jeter, who appeared in the interview room after the game with his arm in a sling.
The Yankees began the season with only one extra middle infielder, Enrique Wilson, who took over at short for Jeter. Torre said another infielder would be called up for the game today against Toronto.
Torre wouldn't say if Wilson would remain the shortstop in Jeter's absence. The Yankees could call up prospect Erick Almonte to play regularly at short or stick with Wilson and summon a backup such as David Post.
"It's going to be tough," said center fielder Bernie Williams. "It's a hard situation right now. This is nothing you expect on the first day of the season."
The fact remains that after only one game, the Yankees are missing arguably their two most important players -- Jeter and closer Mariano Rivera, who remained in Florida with a groin injury. Torre knew better than to cry the blues, however.
It is the first significant injury for Jeter, who never played fewer than 148 games during his first seven full seasons with the Yankees. He has been on the disabled list briefly three times, twice with abdominal strains and once with a quadriceps strain.
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