Mariano Rivera’s bothersome right shoulder has landed the Yankee closer on the DL for the second time in a month and raises the question of how much he will be able to contribute in October.
Rivera was examined by doctors yesterday at Beth Israel North Hospital where Rivera underwent an MRI that showed the same muscle strain that he was diagnosed with on July 22nd.
“It’s not an uneasy feeling about the future,” said GM Brian Cashman, who recalled reliever Mike Thurman from Columbus (Triple-A) to take Rivera’s roster spot. “It’s a timing issue. Somewhere from rehab to when he started pitching, something happened. We will start all over again. The good thing is that it’s a muscle issue and you can deal with that. The bad is I don’t like losing him.”
Unlike the last time Rivera was out, he won’t be given a cortisone shot.
On July 22, Rivera underwent an MRI and was diagnosed with a slight muscle strain. The news came two days after Rivera walked off the Yankee Stadium mound late in a game against the Red Sox.
Today he is on the DL for the third time this year due to the shoulder problem that turned out to be more than slight. The first stint was due to a groin problem.
While the Yankees can take solace in Rivera’s problem not being related to the labrum or the rotator cuff, there is no way of knowing if a month from now Rivera will be able to dominate the final innings of games when they are expected to close out the Red Sox in the AL East and prepare for October.
Armed with a seven-game lead over the Red Sox, the Yankees will play it safe with their 32-year-old closer.
After walking off the mound vs. the Red Sox, Rivera didn’t pick up a ball until July 24 when he played catch and couldn’t get loose.
The next day he received a cortisone shot in Tampa that Rivera said provided instant relief.
Placed on the DL for the second time this year on July 26, Rivera was activated on Aug. 8. In five appearances since, he is 3-for-3 in save chances to hike his total to 27, but showed signs he wasn’t right against the Royals last Thursday when he grimaced while unleashing his patented 94-96 mph heat. He hasn’t pitched since.
Prior to that game Joe Torre and Mel Stottlemyre designed a longer bullpen program for Rivera in order to help him get loose.
But when Torre had a two-run lead going into the top of the ninth Friday night, Rivera never took off his jacket in the bullpen. The Yankees scored four runs in the ninth and Torre let Jeff Weaver finish the game for a three-inning save.
Rivera said he was “sore” and “concerned” Sunday.
The acquisition of Weaver from Detroit, and the right-hander landing in the bullpen, gives Torre more options in the pen than he had the other times Rivera went on the DL.
Weaver, a starter his whole career, has excelled in the bullpen and posted his first save Friday night. While he doesn’t have closing experience, his stuff is electric and provides Torre another quality arm to accompany Steve Karsay, Mike Stanton and Ramiro Mendoza.