TORONTO — You never would have guessed Mariano Rivera’s left groin was cranky while watching the closer play catch with Andy Pettitte yesterday afternoon.
With Pettitte on the right-field foul line at Rogers Centre, Rivera stood in short right field for the start of a throwing program. Eventually, Rivera was in center field and firing baseballs to his longtime teammate.
“I didn’t do it to test [the groin]; I wanted to throw,” Rivera said of the 10-minute session. “I just played catch. Everything is beautiful.”
But not good enough for manager Joe Girardi, who didn’t use Rivera in a save situation Wednesday night in Baltimore and isn’t sure he will have his closer tonight, either.
“We will evaluate it [today],” said Girardi. “We will see how [Rivera] feels. If he is pain free . . . ”
Should Rivera tell the Yankees’ medical staff he feels something he won’t be put on the mound — even though he said he could have pitched last night.
Asked how uncomfortable it would if the Yankees were without Rivera for an extended stretch, Girardi said: “Real uncomfortable. Like sitting on hot coals.”
Rivera, who first experienced discomfort in his groin on Aug. 15 at Seattle and sat out the following three games, knows why the Yankees are being very cautious with him.
“I totally understand,” said Rivera, who has converted an MLB-leading 38 of 39 saves and 34 in a row. “I am the first one to defend it. It’s not like we are weak in the pen. All those guys can pitch.”
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Assuming the Yankees open the ALDS on Oct. 7 at Yankee Stadium, there is a chance The Boss will be on hand for the first time since Opening Day.
That was the vibe moving through the organization yesterday, when a pleased George Steinbrenner was spotted at the club’s headquarters in Tampa.
The Boss had talked about attending the Red Sox series Aug. 6-9 at the Stadium, but changed his mind and watched the four-game sweep from his Tampa home. He last saw the Yankees play live in St. Petersburg on July 29.
Yesterday, The Boss was at his office for three hours and when asked by the AP about his team running away with the AL East, the 79-year-old Steinbrenner said, “Let’s keep it going.”
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When Alex Rodriguez chased a foul ball down the line in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ 10-5 victory over the Blue Jays last night, he got tangled up with a female police officer who was trying to get out of Rodriguez way.
“I am glad she didn’t read me my rights,” said Rodriguez, who didn’t catch the ball. “How embarrassing.”
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Girardi wasn’t going to devise a plan for Derek Jeter to tie or pass Lou Gehrig for the Yankees’ all-time hit lead at home.
“I would like to get it here, that means he was on base a lot,” Girardi said before last night’s game against the Blue Jays. “Derek cares about winning and we care about winning.”
Jeter, who went 0-for-4 last night, needs eight hits to tie Gehrig.
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Asked how his left shin felt after he fouled a ball off it Wednesday night in Baltimore, Rodriguez said, “Look at it.”
A glance revealed a huge knot between the knee and ankle, but Rodriguez and his sizzling bat went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
“It’s OK,” he said.
Of Rodriguez’s 77 RBIs, 36 have tied the score or put the Yankees ahead. He is riding a 12-game hitting streak in which he has batted .426 (20-for-47) with three homers and 13 RBIs. During the sizzling spell, Rodriguez raised his average from .254 to .276.
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Reliever Jonathan Albaladejo joined the club last night, three days after getting hit between the eyes while playing catch with Edwar Ramirez at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was hit when the cutter broke too much to be caught. The ball cut Albaladejo, but the wound didn’t require stitches. However, it did leave him with two very black eyes.
“He looks like a big raccoon,” Girardi said of Albaladejo.
The pitcher received good-natured kidding from teammates.
“When you come to the stadium with black eyes you have to take it,” Albaladejo said.
Albaladejo was taken for tests on his brain and face. Those tests were negative and he pitched for Triple-A on Wednesday.
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Brett Gardner went 0-for-2 yesterday for SWB in a rehab game. Girardi said the outfielder, who has been out since late July with a fractured left thumb, will be re-evaluated Sunday. There is a chance Gardner could be activated in time for Monday’s doubleheader against the Rays at Yankee Stadium.