Rivera’s healthy return welcome sight for Yankees
TAMPA, Florida – There are few sights and sounds that give the Yankees greater comfort than Mariano Rivera on a mound, throwing cut fastballs that can only be described as nuclear upon impact in the catcher’s glove. Imagine, then, the Bombers’ relief – no, delirium – as Rivera fired 25 near-perfect, pain-free pitches in a live batting practice session Friday.
It’d been almost 10 months since he’d faced a batter, turning the early-morning exercise into a can’t-miss moment.
Obviously, there was no chance Rivera would go unsupervised in his first test of the spring, which explained why the entire brain trust – from Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman, all the way down to pitching guru Larry Rothschild, bullpen coach Mike Harkey and even Jorge Posada, who’s serving as a guest coach/instructor – stood a few feet away, archiving every pitch.
Rivera faced minor leaguers Kyle Roller and Rob Segedin, although it would be misleading to say either prospect had much of a chance. They made contact on only eight of Rivera’s 20 pitches, and just one or two would’ve been scored as base hits.
Not that anyone was entirely surprised. Rivera said that, despite the long layoff, his precision within the strike zone, “didn’t take a vacation. It didn’t go anywhere, it’s still there.”
The only variable was the condition of Rivera’s right knee, and whether the surgically repaired ACL is ready for the summer’s wear and tear. The closer felt no ill effects from pitching, and if that were his only gauge, the Yankees could say the arc of his rehab is complete.
However, by his own admission, Rivera still needs to test himself, “covering first base, fielding bunts ... that’s the big thing.”
The short-term schedule calls for Rivera to throw at least one or two more BP sessions before appearing in an exhibition game. But no one doubts the Yankees will be able to cross off the ninth inning from their list of concerns by opening day.
How long Rivera’s good fortune lasts remains to be seen. Not a day goes by without someone asking him if he’s plan ning to retire – or if he is, if an announcement is forthcoming. So far, Rivera has stonewalled every request for more information, although he keeps dropping hints that 2013 will be his final season.
“I always appreciate [being on the mound] because you don’t know when you last game will be,” he said, a philosophy that explained why Rivera was so invested in what could’ve been a throw-away session against the pair of rookies. That was hardly the case. “You better swing,” Rivera said, half-taunting Segedin, as he rediscovered the science that makes him so unique. Rivera systemically worked the four areas of the strike zone, measuring the hitters’ reaction to his pitches, sensing their comfort, or lack of.
Granted, it’s not as it he was facing Prince Fielder or Mike Trout, but Rivera had processed the data, nonetheless.
“I’m happy with the results,” he said, “but it will get better.”
(The Hackensack Record/MCT)