Yanks Optimistic About Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Hideki Matsui

(Zell's Pinstripe Blog)

George, Mo, & Godzilla are going into this season coming off surgery. 

All of them are said to be coming along, but many are worried about them. Will Jorge Posada be back to his old self? Mariano Rivera has shown no signs of slowing down..will this be the year that he starts to decline? Will Matsui’s knees hold up? I don’t know the answers to those questions, but it will make for an interesting story this season.

Mariano Rivera-  removed a calcified joint from his right shoulder

Jorge Posada- season-ending right shoulder surgery

Hideki Matsui-  arthroscopic surgery on left knee

Mariano Rivera hasn’t started his throwing program yet, but he is still expected to be ready for Opening Day. He was bothered by a calcified joint in his shoulder, and he was still on top of his game last year. It’s unbelieavable because he had one of his best seasons last year, and he did it while he was in pain.

Posada is currently working out at the Yankees complex down in Tampa, and increased his throwing program to 90 feet. He is said to be on track for the regular season.

Hideki Matsui is rehabbing his left knee, and he is progressing nicely. He is expected to be ready for Spring Training. Brian Cashman isn’t very worried about Hideki because he had a similar procedure done after the ‘07 season and turned out fine.

“We’re keeping our fingers crossed,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “We will definitely go into Spring Training with concerns about the health of two extremely important positions on any team that wants to get to the promised land.”

“It’s very early in the process for those guys,” Cashman said. “I do have concerns just because we have a closer who we desperately need who is coming off shoulder surgery, no matter how minor it may be.

“I have a catcher who is a perennial All-Star and one of the premier players at that position in this game—a potential Hall of Fame candidate—that we definitely need to come back. He’s rehabbing a significant shoulder surgery and it is going well so far.”

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