Mariano Rivera: Right Knee Injured, Likely Out for the Season with a Torn ACL

New York Yankees closer and future first-ballot Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera suffered a knee injury on Thursday in Kansas City. It was not sustained during a game, or even throwing a baseball, but while shagging balls in the outfield.

Catching fly balls in batting practice is standard procedure for pitchers in order to stay loose between games. It's often said that Rivera is the best athlete on the team, and could easily play center field if he weren't the greatest closer of all time.

The fly ball in question came off the bat of the newly acquired Jayson Nix. Rivera was running towards the outfield wall and jumped slightly to catch the ball. He appeared to slip on the warning track and landed awkwardly, immediately crumpling at the base of the wall and grabbing his right knee in pain.

Alex Rodriguez was standing next to the batting cage and could be seen mouthing the words "Oh my God." Bullpen coach Mike Harkey began yelling and whistling for help from the training staff as Rivera writhed in pain on the warning track.

Rivera was carried by Harkey, manager Joe Girardi and fellow pitcher Rafael Soriano, and placed on a cart. As he was being driven off the field, Rivera smiled and waved, but he was the only one on the field smiling.

The Yankees have already lost starter Michael Pineda for the season to a shoulder injury, and reliever Joba Chamberlain will be out for several months after injuring his ankle in a trampoline accident. But the Yankees are prepared to soldier on without those two. An injury to Rivera, however, is devastating. 

For New York fans, the injury eerily echoes the ACL tear sustained by Knicks guard Iman Shumpert in Game 1 against the Miami Heat on Saturday.

And early reports from Girardi (via ESPN) confirm the worst—that Rivera has torn his ACL and will likely miss the remainder of the 2012 season.

Before spring training, Rivera told reporters that he has made his mind up about whether or not he will retire after this season, but refused to divulge that decision. When answering follow-up questions, it seemed that he would not return, as he stated no amount of money could make him change his mind.

Rivera is the all-time leader in saves with 608 in his 18-year career. He was off to a good start this year as well, posting five saves with a 2.16 ERA. If the horrible news is in fact true, the Yankees will turn to their setup men, David Robertson and Rafael Soriano, to close games in the ninth.

The Yankees have already strained their bullpen, having to move long reliever David Phelps into the rotation to replace the ineffective Freddy Garcia. They also called up D.J. Mitchell, who is capable of pitching long relief.

They're now eagerly awaiting the completion of 39-year-old Andy Pettitte's minor league rehabilitation after retiring last year. He may be needed to replace the ineffective Phil Hughes, who also could be headed to the bullpen.

It's questionable as to whether or not the current bullpen will suffice for the Bronx Bombers. They could enter the market for a trade.

The Angels recently shopped around for a bullpen supplement to Jordan Walden and Scott Downs, reportedly inquiring about Pittsburgh's Joel Hanrahan, Oakland's Grant Balfour and Seattle's Brandon League.

Girardi said he will sleep on the decision of naming a new closer, but he's probably hoping to wake up on Friday and discover that the injury to Rivera was all a horrible nightmare.

Barring a best-case scenario result from his MRI, this looks to be the tragic end to Rivera's career, not with a World Series victory, or even a playoff loss, but during batting practice in the outfield.