TAMPA, Fla. – Derek Jeter had a miserable offseason he would rather forget after his season ended with a broken ankle.

“Absolutely terrible,” the Yankees captain said Sunday, the spring training reporting day for New York’s positions players. “Mentally it was rough, too, but more physical. I was stuck on the couch for a good five, six weeks where I couldn’t really move around too much. I had a little scooter to move around. It was not fun.”

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 could start running on a field this week and expects to be ready for opening day.

“Why wouldn’t it be realistic?” Jeter said. “I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Opening day, yeah, it’s been a goal all along.”

Tigers injury

Detroit outfielder Brennan Boesch tweaked an oblique muscle in his right side and expects to miss a day or two of spring training.

Boesch says he hurt himself while swinging Saturday. Manager Jim Leyland had information on a timetable for Boesch’s return.

Boesch is competing for time in left field with Andy Dirks and Quintin Berry.

Helton apologizes

Calling his recent drunken driving arrest a “monumental mistake,” Colorado first baseman Todd Helton fought tears as he apologized and asked for forgiveness.

“Last week I got behind the wheel of my truck after I had drank,” Helton said of his Feb. 8 arrest. “All I can do now is apologize and ask for forgiveness. I spoke to my teammates today and they were very supportive.”