Mariano Rivera’s rehab doctor, Dr. Keith Pyne, told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the all-time saves leader could return from knee surgery this season.
It turns out that Rivera had a partial tear of the ACL in his right knee, not a full tear as previously believed. And while surgery was delayed a month due to a blood clot, Pyne believes Rivera’s work leading up to the procedure will prove beneficial. Pyne also credited Rivera’s mental strength and posited that the recovery time would likely be longer if he tore the ACL in his left knee, as it takes more stress as the landing leg in his delivery. The 42-year-old right-hander is still a long shot to return this season and Pyne conceded that Dr. David Altchek, the Yankees and Rivera are the ultimate authorities on the matter, but the possibility of him pitching in 2012 isn’t as far-fetched as it was a couple of months ago.
via Joel Sherman NY Post
