Trainer Steve Donohue, left, and New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, right, help Derek Jeter off the field after he injured himself during Game 1 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers.

NEW YORK — A player stood at shortstop at Yankee Stadium, yet the shortstop was missing.

For 16 years and 158 consecutive games, Derek Jeter had been in the New York Yankees’ postseason lineup, the Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken of October.

“When you think of postseason, you think of Derek Jeter,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland said.

And now Jeter was absent for Game 2 of the AL championship series against the Tigers on Sunday, off undergoing tests after his left ankle cracked during another stressful moment in another sapping game. Taking the captain’s place was Jayson Nix.

Jeter’s body gave out Saturday on one of those autumn nights that has defined him, transformed him from a strong-willed student to revered statesman.

Trailing the Tigers one game to none, the Yankees faced the troublesome task of regrouping without their longtime leader.

First Mariano Rivera, whose knee tore during batting practice in May. Then Jeter.

Not since Game 6 of the 1981 World Series had the Yankees played in the postseason without both Jeter and Rivera

“We had to move on from a lot of different things this year,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We’ve lost the greatest closer of all-time, where people left us for dead. People left us for dead in August and September, said we were panicking. And we laughed at it, and we said no, we’re going to be fine. We won more games in the American League than anyone.”