Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees throws out the first pitch prior to Game Three of the American League Division Series against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on October 10, 2012 in the Bronx borough of New York City.
(October 9, 2012 – Source: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images North America)
(PhatzRadio / USA Today) — Just when it couldn’t get worse for the New York Yankees, general manager Brian Cashman says Mariano Rivera is unsure if he will return for a 19th season.
“He wasn’t certain on what he is going to do,” Cashman told ESPN New York.
Rivera, the all-time saves leader with 608, is recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, an injury he sustained in early May and limited the closer to a career-low 8 1/3 innings for the season.
Although he’s 43 now, Rivera has said he would like to return in 2013. But he has also been coy on the subject of retirement in recent years.
The Yankees managed to replace Rivera with Rafael Soriano, who had 42 saves and a 2.26 ERA. But he can opt out of the last year of his contract, which could leave the Yankees without a proven closer when offseason player moves start in earnest next month.
The Yankees are also dealing with shortstop Derek Jeter coming back from a broken ankle that required surgery, as well as the quandary of what to do with Alex Rodriguez and the pending free agency of catcher Russell Martin, right fielder Nick Swisher, DH Raul Ibanez and right-hander Hiroki Kuroda.
