Returning to the Scene of the Ouch and Other Injury Related News

Bullpen coach Mike Harkey's face said it all last May.

On May 3 of last year Yankees fans saw something that nearly made them all hurl. It was Mariano Rivera writhing around in agony on the warning track in Kansas City's Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium. Baseball's all-time greatest closer was in the midst of his normal pre-game ritual of shagging fly balls during batting practice when he went down in a heap.

Several minutes later Rivera was carted off the field with a torn ACL in his right knee. Just 25 games into the 2012 season, Rivera's season was over after just nine appearances and five saves. One year and one week later, the Yankees and Rivera are back in Kansas City for a three game series with the Royals.

Rivera underwent surgery in July and successfully rehabbed in time for the start of the 2013 season. At the moment he leads the American League with 13 saves in 15 games pitched. He's struck out 12 and walked just two in 14.1 innings, and allowed three earned runs (1.88). In other words he's having a Mariano Rivera-type season in this, his final season.

Rivera has returned to his pre-game ritual this season, but Joe Girardi has noticed that Rivera doesn't go after baseballs as hard as he used to. He half-jokingly added, "I'm not going to challenge him on it."

Rivera wasn't the only one that had issues in Kansas City last season. Robinson Cano was booed mercilessly after he did not select the Royals' Billy Butler to participate in the 2012 All-Star home run derby. To make matters worse, the game was actually in Kansas City. The fans went too far in my opinion and were pretty damn obnoxious, especially since it was an All-Star event and not the regular season.

Whether or not it affected Cano, the defending champion, was unclear, but he made a very early exit from the contest. Cano can get even by continuing the success he has had against KC - an .839 OPS 7 HR 39 RBI in 60 games.

I'll get back to the injuries in a moment, but first and I mean first, let's talk about the AL East standings on this fine Friday. Right there in the paper, on your internet, on your iPhone app, was the New York Yankees sitting atop the American League East division. Technically, it's a three way tie (NY 20-13, Bal, Bos 21-14) between the Yankees, Orioles, and suddenly floundering Red Sox, but the Yankees have a .006 percentage lead. Boo hiss to one of my favorite sites - baseball-reference.com - which put the standings in alphabetical order. That's not the way it works boys.

Okay, back to the walking wounded- Curtis Granderson went 1-3 Thursday night as a member of the Yankees Triple 'A' Scranton RailRiders. (Months later the team name still stinks.) The plan is for Granderson, who played right field last night, to play all three outfield positions while he completes his rehab from the broken forearm he got in the first Spring Training game of the season.

Eduardo Nunez is feeling better, but still cannot swing a bat due to soreness in his rib cage/oblique area. If the Yankees have to DL Nunez it can be back dated to May 6, which would make him eligible for activation on the 20th of May.

As a precaution the Yankees have brought back the attorney general, Alberto Gonzalez. The utility infielder was a member of the Yankees organization for 2007 and part of 2008. He was acquired from Arizona when the Yankees sent Randy Johnson back to the desert in January, 2007, and then was dealt to the Nationals at the 2008 trade deadline for pitcher Jhonny Nunez. (Nunez was part of the package later sent to Chicago for Nick Swisher.) The Yankees will send a player to be named later or cash to the Chicago Cubs for Gonzalez, who will report to Scranton.

Ivan Nova remains on track to start in one of Monday's doubleheader make up games with the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees will then head to the Bronx for a six game homestand with the Mariners and Blue Jays.

Girardi is optimistic that Joba Chamberlain will be able to return on time when he's eligible to be activated this coming Tuesday. He backed away a little bit from the statement by adding that you never know with oblique injuries.

Mo Throws, Puts Career Announcement on Hold

Mariano Rivera usually doesn't throw for a number of days after his arrival in Tampa for Spring Training. But the all-time saves leader never came to camp post ACL surgery that cost him nearly the entire 2012 season.

Rivera threw 25 pitches on Tuesday and was all smiles as he joked with teammates. He also told reporters on Wednesday that he has made his decision on the future, but will not reveal it publicly until "the time is right".

The greatest closer of all time turned 43 in November and is looking forward to the coming season.

Yankees To Still Go to Mo

Mariano Rivera vowed he would be back to pitch for the Yankees in 2013 shortly after he underwent surgery to repair the knee he tore up shagging fly balls back on May 3.  Recent rumors, however, were that Mo was having second thoughts about a comeback.  Fret no more.

The greatest closer in baseball history has informed GM Brian Cashman that he intends on pitching in 2013. When Rafael Soriano opted out of his contract, it left the Yankees 40-man roster without a proven closer, with the exception of David Aardsma, who is still recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Now the Yankees can (hopefully) count on Rivera to stay healthy and close out games in 2013 while they make plans to transition the role to Aardsma, David Robertson, or someone else in 2014.

The man with the famous cutter had surgery to repair the ACL in his right knee in July and is said to be in good condition. Cashman will work with agent Fern Cuza on a new contract, and will likely ask Rivera to take a cut from the $16mm he earned last season.

Blood Clot Holds Up Rivera's Surgery

The complications surrounding Mariano Rivera knee exam the last couple of days have finally been revealed. Mo met with the media at Yankee Stadium a short time ago and every beat writer, YES employee, NY /NJ paper columnist all tweeted at once that Mo has a blood clot in his right calf.

Rivera was understandably concerned and a little unnerved by the doctor's finding. Surgery would naturally be delayed by a clot, but Marc Carig of The Star Ledger just tweeted that the surgeon wants Rivera to regain strength and range of motion anyway.

While Rivera had hoped to possibly return late in the season/post-season, Brian Cashman quashed those thoughts yesterday and said baseball's greatest closer won't be back until 2013.

Mariano: I'll Be Back

"I'll be back." That's basically what Mariano Rivera said this afternoon, telling reporters he would not let his career end due to the ACL tear he suffered in Kansas City last night.

It would have been perfect had baseball's greatest terminator quoted the terminator, but his actual words were:

"'I'm coming back. Write it down in big letters. I'm not going out like this,'' he said. ''This has me thinking, I can't go down like this. If it takes two, three, four, five, seven more (seasons), whatever it takes.'' 

Yankees fans are quiet ecstatic to say the least.

Mariano Verdict: Torn ACL; Goodbye 2012

The MRI of Mariano Rivera's knee revealed what everyone was afraid it would. A torn Anterior Crucuate Ligament (ACL) has ended Rivera's season, which might have be his last anyway. As someone who has torn their ACL (thankfully only a partial, not requiring full reconstruction), I feel Rivera's pain and as a Yankees fan I share the pain of not having Rivera on the mound.

So the question is whether Rivera had decided on retirement after the season, will he come back in 2013 so he goes out healthy? Or does he figure he'll quit while he's ahead, or behind depending on your outlook? Whichever the case, this is NOT the way Yankees fans wanted to see the legend go out.

As for Mo's replacement, David Robertson would seem to be the logical choice based on his strikeouts per nine innings, but Joe Girardi could also go with a proven closer in Rafael Soriano. That would leave Robertson to continue in his dynamite 7th-8th inning role. Phil Hughes could also come into the picture if he continues to struggle as a starter. David Phelps could remain in the rotation with Andy Pettitte replacing Hughes, who would then act as a set up man. Something he excelled at in 2009.