Jeter resumes on-field running drills in Tampa

Jeter worked out at Steinbrenner Field on Saturday with players who didn't travel for the Yankees' spring training opener against Atlanta.

"It's a natural progression, but everything went good," Jeter said. "It went fine."

Jeter has been hitting and fielding grounders since the Yankees started full squad workouts last Monday. He had been running and stretching indoors.

"It's really nothing much different than what I was doing," Jeter said. "I was just at a different pace than everyone else. So while they're doing one thing, I don't want to be doing something else."

The 38-year-old broke his left ankle lunging for a grounder in the AL championship series opener against Detroit on Oct. 1 and had surgery a week later. He expects to be ready for opening day against Boston on April 1.

Jeter had a resurgent season in 2012, leading the American League with 216 hits and batting .316 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs. He first injured his ankle in mid-September and fouled balls off his foot several times after that.