The New York Yankees are holding their collective breath Thursday after all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera twisted his right knee during batting practice and was carted off the field at Kauffman Stadium. He's getting an MRI in Kansas City, where the Yankees are playing the Royals in the opener of a four-game series.
Rivera, who's 42 years old and hasn't been on the disabled list since 2003, apparently slipped on the warning track while shagging balls — an activity all pitchers are required to do — and fell to the ground. In a tweet, WFAN reporter Sweeny Murti said coach Mike Harkey saw it happen. Teammates "were stoned-faced" as Rivera came off. Reporter Dan Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal said Rivera was "smiling and laughing as they drove him off, for what it's worth."
Hopefully, something good.
[Related: Fantasy impact of Mariano Rivera's knee injury]
Though the Yankees have other capable relievers such as David Robertson, along with expensive ones such as Rafael Soriano, nobody in history has been better at the end of games than Rivera, who has 608 career saves, a 2.21 ERA and 12 All-Star appearances since his rookie season in 1995. And that doesn't count a nearly flawless postseason record (except for Game 7 of the World Series in 2001).
He's the Sandman, the Godfather, Super Mariano, Mo. A giant of the game. The kind of player who, even though he plays for the hated (by many) Yankees, manages to elicit goodwill from pretty much everybody. Hopefully this is a minor injury. Rivera hinted during spring training that this would be his final season. But if this is the end ... he's accomplished so much ... and it would be a shame.
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