The Minnesota Twins visit the New York Yankees on Friday for the first of a three game series.  The game starts at 7:05 p.m. ET.  Watch the live stream HERE. 

Derek Jeter's long-awaited return didn't pan out as expected.  In his first game back, Jeter sustained a quad injury and needed a pinch-hitter to replace him, the Associated Press reports.  His status for Friday is uncertain.

"Jete thinks he'll be ready to play," Yankees manager Joe Giradi told reporters. 

Despite missing nine months, Giradi didn't believe Jeter rushed back to the majors too quickly.

"I think Derek would run himself out there the next 70 games if it was up to him," Giradi said.  "I mean, that's just who he is.  He expects to play every day.  So from that standpoint I think we have to guard against rushing him back too much, and we have to pick days off, and we have to pick DH days.

"In the perfect world, you have a month of spring training, but this has not been a perfect world around here this year." 

It hasn't been a perfect season for New York, but the club did at least break out of its one-run three game streak.  The Yankees (50-42) scored eight runs for the second consecutive game, beating the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday and Thursday.

Hiroki Kuroda (7-6, 2.77 ERA) is slated to take the mound for New York.  Kuroda pitched seven scoreless innings on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles before Mariano Rivera gave up two runs in the ninth inning. 

Twins pitcher Scott Diamond (5-8, 5.52) will oppose Kuroda.  Diamond is coming off a poor showing from Sunday's 11-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays - he gave up six runs in 4 2/3 innings, including three homers.  

The second game of the series is on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET.