Jeter notches hit No. 2,500

Derek Jeter is honored to be part of an exclusive club with Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. For now, however, the New York Yankees shortstop is more interested in keeping his team in the playoff hunt.

Jeter got his 2,500th hit Friday night in Baltimore, joining Gehrig (2,721) and Ruth (2,518) as the only players to reach the mark with the Yankees.

“Anytime your name is with someone like Gehrig and Ruth, it’s pretty special,” Jeter said. “To be quite honest with you, I don’t even think about it much because we’re trying to win games here. That’s something you reflect on maybe when your career’s over.”

New York entered Saturday trailing Boston by six games in the A.L. wild-card race. Jeter is doing his best to keep the Yankees’ hopes alive – he was batting .486 over his last eight games to raise his average 15 points to .296.

Jeter is the 88th player in baseball history to have 2,500 hits. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, in the last 65 years only two players were younger than Jeter (34 years, 57 days) when they reached the 2,500-hit plateau – Hank Aaron and Robin Yount.

“When you think about Derek Jeter, he’s been consistent through his whole career,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He stayed healthy, plays everyday, works very hard at what he does. There aren’t a lot of people who have 2,500 hits. Shows you what kind of player he is. Been a very good player for a long time and he’s got a ways to go, still.”

Beckett needs rest

Boston Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett won’t face the Yankees on Tuesday after skipping a bullpen session Saturday because of continued numbness and tingling in his pitching arm.

Manager Terry Francona said Beckett has “inflammation” in his elbow and likely won’t start again until Friday, when the Red Sox return home to open a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.

Tim Wakefield, out since Aug. 7 with tightness behind his right shoulder, threw in the bullpen and will come off the disabled list to start Tuesday when the Red Sox begin their final regular-season series at Yankee Stadium. Wakefield is 7-8 with a 3.67 ERA.

Francona intends to be “overly cautious” with Beckett, who is 11-9 with a 4.34 ERA in 23 starts.