WHAT, ME WORRY? Mariano Rivera, wearing a brace on his surgically repaired right knee, shares a laugh with Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda as he fumbles a grounder during fielding drills yesterday. (Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post)
TAMPA — If yesterday was the final time Mariano Rivera participates in the first day of pitchers and catchers, the Yankees’ closer did it with a brace on a surgically repaired right knee, which he may wear during the season, and a bounce in his step.
Rivera said he has decided what 2014 will deliver, but didn’t reveal that following a 25-pitch bullpen session that was followed by fielding ground balls on a mound and covering first base on another diamond.
“I won’t give it up until I am ready,’’ the 43-year-old Rivera said about his decision. “I will tell you guys when the moment is right.’’
Rivera said that could come in a day or a week. Asked if he will reveal his decision before the April 1 opener against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Rivera replied, “Definitely.’’
Last February, Rivera also said he had made up his mind and would reveal it “when I think I should tell you.”
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He never made the public proclamation and then tore his ACL in early May while shagging fly balls in Kansas City during batting practice. That wasn’t going to be the way baseball’s all-time saves leader (608) was going to go out.
Outside of what appeared to be a very slight gimp jogging from one mound to another late in yesterday’s program, Rivera and his surgically repaired right knee looked fine.
He ran in the outfield, threw 25 bullpen pitches to catching prospect J.R. Murphy, fielded sponge balls hit by David Wells on the mound and participated in pitcher’s fielding drills.
When it was over, Rivera flashed the trademark smile.
Asked to rate how the knee feels on a scale of one to 10, Rivera said it was a lot closer to the top of the scale than the bottom and would be at the ceiling soon.
“I feel good. I would say around nine for sure,’’ Rivera said. “The other point, the 10 [will come] from the running I do here, the ground balls and covering first base. I will be at 10 when I pitch.’’
As for the brace, which Rivera described as a “light one with a little bar on the side,’’ Rivera said he “might’’ wear it during the season.
“It’s just precautionary, it’s light and not a big bulky thing,’’ said Rivera, who won’t stop shagging fly balls in batting practice because that’s part of his program to be ready.
With Rafael Soriano, who posted 42 saves filling in for Rivera last year gone to the Nationals, the Yankees are banking on Rivera to be his usual self.
“That’s what I always demand of myself,’’ Rivera said when asked if he could be the Mo of old. “I am looking for that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. I want to help the team. I want to help the team as much as I can and if I am not doing what I am supposed to do, I don’t help them at all. I am definitely expecting good things.’’
Though Joe Girardi said Rivera will pitch his usual seven or eight innings during the exhibition season, there might be some additional work to help the knee get prepared for the six-month grind that follows.
“Maybe you see a couple of live [batting practices] or something like a simulated game,’’ said Girardi, who explained Rivera won’t end a long-time spring tradition of avoiding road trips. “We will see how he is physically. I can’t tell you that you will see him in more than eight or seven innings in a real game, but we might get him more work strategically.’’
Girardi said he believes Rivera can return to being the All-Star closer he has been, but the manager will watch closely.
“Anytime a player comes off an injury, you would watch him a lot closer than you would normally,’’ Girardi said. “You want to make sure he bounces back from his bullpens OK, he is using his legs like he always did before and he is moving around fine. We will watch him.’’
george.king@nypost.com