“Nightmare” is another word that players have used the last couple of days to describe the last few months. Phil Hughes used it to illustrate his recurring problems, Jeter to encapsulate his succession of injuries and Rodriguez to describe his battle with Major League Baseball (and the Yankees) over his suspension.

More than anything, the Yankees look decrepit. Jeter, who is 39, has been on the disabled list three separate times with three injuries and Rodriguez, 38, is coming off hip surgery and looks more stiff and immobile than ever. Pettitte, who turned 41 in June, is having the results of a 41-year-old. Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki are on the downside of their careers. Alfonso Soriano, acquired last month to fuel some offense, is 37 years 8 months old.

General Manager Brian Cashman said he expected Rodriguez to be able to play the rest of the season while his suspension was being appealed, but there is no certainty about what production he will provide. After last year’s disappointing season, Cashman called Rodriguez, a three-time most valuable player who was once considered the best player in baseball, an “above-average third baseman.”

Asked on Tuesday if he still considered him to be that good, Cashman could not say for sure.

“He’s been above average in the past number of years, and we’ve been below average at that position this year,” Cashman said, “so it would be good if we can get at least that. I don’t know if he’ll be better than what we’ve been running out there.”

The Yankees have had success with older players in the past, but not much when Jeter is not one of them. He has played in only 5 of the Yankees’ 112 games.

“I’ve played for two other organizations and seen some pretty strange things,” said Wells, who has played 15 years with the Blue Jays, the Angels and the Yankees. “When you come to this organization and put this uniform on, it’s synonymous with legacy, tradition and No. 2. When you don’t see No. 2 out there, you know things are not right.”