Mariano Rivera will make his first appearance on the mound since last May when he pitches in a spring-training game this weekend for the New York Yankees.
Rivera last pitched in a game on April 30 in Yankee Stadium against Baltimore. Three days later, he suffered a season-ending knee injury during batting practice that required surgery in June.
“We’re going to shoot for Saturday,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi told the YES Network. “We’re not going to rush it. We have plenty of time.”
There were indications that Rivera, who has 608 career saves, might return as early as Wednesday for an exhibition against the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team. But Rivera said there’s no hurry. He pitched a simulated inning Sunday to prepare for live hitters in a game.
“I think that we are ready to do that,” Rivera said.
There’s also a chance that shortstop Derek Jeter, recovering from a broken ankle in last season’s American League playoffs, could return Sunday for a exhibition game. He would be used as a designated hitter.
“He’s doing well. He’s progressing the way we want, so we’ll see where he is this week,” Girardi said, according to MLB.com.