His season likely over, Mariano Rivera unsure if he will pitch again
His head bowed and his eyes welling with tears, Mariano Rivera stood in the center of the visiting clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium tonight and said that he does not know if he will pitch in the Major Leagues again.
“At this point, I don’t know,” Rivera said, repeating softly, “At this point, I don’t know. I have to face this first.”
Rivera has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, suffered while chasing a batting practice fly ball near the center field wall this evening in Kansas City.
The torn ACL was diagnosed by the Royals’ team physicians after an MRI at an area hospital tonight. He will be evaluated by the Yankees’ team physicians in New York, but the club is not expecting a miracle — his season is almost certainly over.
Rivera acknowledged that his stellar, Hall of Fame caliber career may have also ended tonight on the warning track in Kansas City, playfully lunging for a line drive as he has done countless times before.
“If I had to do it over again, I would do it over again,” Rivera said. “No hesitation. There’s reasons why it happens. You have to take it the way it is and fight through it. Now we just have to fight.”
Here is video of Rivera’s postgame press conference: Click here.
And here is reaction from his teammates:
Game 25: Yankees at Royals
May 3, 2012, 8:05 p.m. ET, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
TV / Radio: YES/MLB Network, WCBS 880 AM
The course of the day — and perhaps the Yankees’ season — took an unexpected turn around 7 p.m. ET tonight as we looked up to see Mariano Rivera crumpled against the warning track in pain. The initial diagnosis is a twisted right knee, suffered as he slipped attempting a catch during batting practice, but he’s being sent for an MRI. Suffice it to say the Yankees are coming into the game with their fingers crossed for a good outcome.
They’d also like David Phelps’ first Major League start to be a solid one. Phelps is expected to give the Yankees more than 75 pitches tonight and, Joe Girardi hopes, that could get them into the fifth or sixth inning. After facing the likes of Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera already in his big league career, Girardi hopes Phelps won’t have too many jitters out there.
“For me, there would be more if he hadn’t pitched here yet,” Girardi said. “But because he’s pitched here, I think some of that would be gone. There could be some just because he’s had five days to think about it, but hopefully he got all that out of him when he pitched in relief.”
Left-hander Danny Duffy gets the nod for the Royals, which is why Girardi has moved his lineup around a little bit here tonight.
“This kid’s been tough on lefties, Duffy, and they have some good left-handed relievers,” Girardi said. ” So just to break it up a little bit.”
Here are tonight’s lineups:
YANKEES (13-11)
Derek Jeter DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Andruw Jones RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Russell Martin C
Jayson Nix LF
David Phelps RHP (0-0, 3.57 ERA)
ROYALS (7-16)
Jarrod Dyson CF
Alex Gordon LF
Billy Butler DH
Eric Hosmer 1B
Jeff Francoeur RF
Mike Moustakas 3B
Humberto Quintero C
Chris Getz 2B
Alcides Escobar SS
Danny Duffy LHP (1-2, 3.63 ERA)
Mariano Rivera diagnosed with twisted right knee; sent for MRI
Mariano Rivera has been diagnosed with a twisted right knee, according to the Yankees, but will be sent for an MRI at a local hospital during tonight’s game. He was examined at Kauffman Stadium by the Royals’ associate physician, Dr. Joe Noland, as well as the Yankees’ training staff.
Mariano Rivera injured in outfield during batting practice
KANSAS CITY — Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was carted off the field at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday after appearing to suffer a right knee injury shagging fly balls during batting practice.
The Yankees were hitting on the diamond just after 7 p.m. ET as Rivera raced back, reaching up for a fly ball. His right knee buckled near the warning track and he crumpled to the ground near the fence, rubbing his knee immediately in pain.
Teammates and coaches crowded around in concern as Rivera received attention in the outfield. Manager Joe Girardi was among those watching the all-time saves leader be propped onto the back of a flatbed truck and driven around the warning track.
Head athletic trainer Steve Donohue was riding with Rivera, who was gingerly helped into the clubhouse and did not appear able to put pressure on his injured leg.
No further information was immediately available about Rivera’s injury. Rivera regularly shags fly balls in center field during batting practice and has spoken about hoping to play the position in a game before he retires.
Chavez to DL; Nix called up, starts in left field
Jayson Nix has had his contract purchased from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and is in the Yankees’ lineup tonight in Kansas City, batting ninth. Nix played left field once in Spring Training and once at Triple-A this week in advance of the move.
In a corresponding roster move, Eric Chavez has been placed on baseball’s seven-day concussion disabled list. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Chavez was pretty “foggy” and that it is impossible to tell if he will need more than just the minimum seven days.
To create room on the 40-man roster for Nix, right-hander Joba Chamberlain was transferred from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.
Game 24: Yankees vs. Orioles
May 2, 2012, 7:05 p.m. ET, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
TV / Radio: YES/ESPN, WCBS 880 AM
Greetings from an exceptionally chilly pressbox at Yankee Stadium. The weather has been mostly unpleasant the last two days in New York — after Joe Girardi remarked yesterday that the nice weather was one thing that stood out to him about the first month of the season — and tonight should make for some long-sleeve temps. The Yankees are taking batting practice on the field nonetheless.
As for tonight’s game, it’s a rubber match between two teams vying for position in the contentions AL East. Tuesday was Baltimore’s first win of the season against the Yankees, who have dominated this series over the last few years.
Ivan Nova’s undefeated streak will be on the line again, as the young hurler looks to continue this remarkable stretch of not having taken a losing decision since June 3, 2011 against the Angels.
“Extremely impressive, especially in the division we play in and the competition in the American League,” Joe Girardi said of Nova’s streak. “Anyone can have one stinker of a game, give up a big spot early and the team’s not able to come back. But he really seems to manage innings.”
Nova is 20-1 in 32 career starts in which he has pitched with the lead. The right-hander’s six earned runs in 5 1/3 against Detroit in his last start — a no-decision — was the most he allowed since Aug. 16, 2011.
Eduardo Nunez — who made an error in left field last night that cost the Yankees two runs — gets his third straight start in left, and Girardi continues to sound impressed with Nunez’s progress given all that’s been asked of him. Girardi said Brett Gardner’s return has been pushed back a few days, so Nunez is likely to get a few more looks in left, particularly against Kansas City’s lefties coming up.
Here are tonight’s lineups:
ORIOLES (15-9)
Endy Chavez LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Chris Davis 1B
Nick Johnson DH
Mark Reynolds 3B
Robert Andino 2B
Jake Arrieta RHP (1-2, 4.45 ERA)
YANKEES (13-10)
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez RF
Eric Chavez 3B
Andruw Jones LF
Russell Martin C
Ivan Nova RHP (3-0, 5.18)
Game 23: Yankees vs. Orioles
May 1, 2012, 7:05 p.m. ET, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
TV / Radio: YES, WCBS 880 AM
The Yankees will look to earn a series victory with a win tonight, and continue their dominance over the AL East rival Orioles. Baltimore entered the series in first place before New York’s 2-1 win last night, and remains half a game ahead of New York in the standings (the Rays are in first place, a game ahead of the O’s). It’s an unexpected battle for second place tonight.
New York is 30-10 against Baltimore since the start of the 2010 season, including a 4-0 mark thus far in 2012.
Phil Hughes is on the hill tonight, looking for his second win of the year. In his three losses, he’s not gone more than 4 2/3 innings (he went 2 2/3 in his last outing) and owns a 7.88 ERA entering tonight. Here’s what Joe Girardi had to say about Hughes’ key to success:
“I really believe it’s the location of his fastball, to where it’s not running back and he’s not missing over the thirds and in the middle,” Girardi said. “As opposed to if you miss, you miss away or you miss in. I think that has a lot to do with it.”
Hughes has been saying he needs to be in “attack mode” on the mound, similar to the way he approached hitters when he was coming out of the bullpen.
“The idea is to put hitters on the defense and get ahead of them and make quality pitches,” Girardi said. “If he feels like he needs to be more in attack mode to do that, then yeah. And that’s what he did as a reliever. He was very successful as a reliever and I thought he brought that attitude as a starter when he came back in 2010.”
Russell Martin is DHing today, partly because right-handers have had success against Orioles starter Brian Matusz, and partly to keep Martin in the lineup while also giving Chris Stewart a shot against a left-hander. Eduardo Nunez also gets his second straight start in left field.
Here are the full lineups for Tuesday’s game:
ORIOLES (14-9)
Endy Chavez LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Chris Davis 1B
Wilson Betemit 3B
Nick Johnson DH
Robert Andino 2B
Brian Matusz LHP (0-3, 5.66 ERA)
YANKEES (13-9)
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Andruw Jones RF
Russell Martin DH
Eduardo Nunez LF
Chris Stewart C
Phil Hughes RHP (1-3, 7.88)
Game 22: Yankees vs. Orioles
April 30, 2012, 7:05 p.m. ET, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
TV / Radio: YES, WCBS 880 AM
The surprising first place — yes, you read that correctly — Baltimore Orioles come to town tonight to open a three-game series in the Bronx. How is Buck Showalter’s Orioles team hanging in there after the Yankees last saw them, sweeping a three-game series at Camden Yards earlier in the month?
“I think it’s because they’ve pitched a lot better,” Joe Girardi said. “Two games that we played there (in Baltimore), we could have lost both of those. They were tight games. I think they’re an improved team, they’re athletic, Nolan Reimold has played extremely well for them. He’s a player that we thought a lot of when he first came up. But I think the big thing is they have pitched a lot better than they have in the past.”
Hiroki Kuroda has had a bad start, a good start, a bad one and a good one. That means he’s due for another clunker, so the Yankees are hoping he breaks out of this up and down string here tonight. Seven of the 14 runs Kuroda has allowed this year came in the first inning, so the Orioles’ blank first inning might be a good sign.
Hammel is back in the American League East after spending three years with the Rockies. The former Tampa Bay Ray has made 11 career appearances (five starts) vs. the Yankees, and is 1-2 with a 7.45 ERA in 29 innings, permitting 24 runs. As a starter, he’s 1-2 with a 6.57 ERA, though he hasn’t made a start against the Yankees since April 7, 2008.
ORIOLES (14-8)
Nolan Reimold LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Chris Davis 1B
Wilson Betemit 3B
Mark Reynolds DH
Robert Andino 2B
Jason Hammel RHP (3-0, 1.73 ERA)
YANKEES (12-9)
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez RF
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez LF
Hiroki Kuroda RHP (1-3, 4.38)
Swisher could miss a week with hamstring strain
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he is hoping Nick Swisher will be available to return to the lineup on Tuesday, May 8 from a left hamstring strain. Swisher doesn’t think it’s going to take that long, though — he’s shooting for Thursday against the Royals in Kansas City.
“We all decided to be smart, take a couple of days off and get this thing 100 percent healed up,” Swisher said. “I’m that type of guy that I like to take pride in being on the field every day. When you get banged up like this it’s kind of frustrating.”
Swisher is usually the optimist in these situations, though, so it seems a safer and more conservative bet that Girardi’s time frame is likely. The Yankees aren’t putting Swisher on the DL, though, because they believe Brett Gardner will be activated from the DL on Thursday at Kansas City.
Swisher has mild hamstring strain; may avoid DL
Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher has a mild strain of his left hamstring and will be out of action for at least the next several games, according to manager Joe Girardi.
Swisher worked a walk in the third inning against Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer and, while at first base, grabbed at the back of his left leg as though he was trying to work out tightness.
A MRI taken during the Yankees’ 6-2 victory over the Tigers revealed the strain. Girardi said that he did not know if Swisher would require a stint on the disabled list.
“He’s got a real low-grade strain,” Girardi said. “We’re probably looking at more than a few days, but I’m not saying it’s a DL [situation]. We’ll have to see how it progresses in the next few days.”
The injury puts a damper on what has been a very positive April for Swisher, as the switch-hitter has already totaled 23 RBIs, including slugging homers from both sides of the plate in Saturday’s 7-5 loss to the Tigers.
Girardi said that he did not anticipate the Yankees calling up another outfielder before Monday’s game against the Orioles, and mentioned that Brett Gardner is eligible to return from his right elbow strain on Thursday. If the Yankees summoned an outfielder from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, veteran DeWayne Wise would figure to be first in line.
Bryan Hoch
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