Clear Day
Oh no! Mo hurt

Out till Sunday with bad elbow

BY SAM BORDEN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

TAMPA - Mariano Rivera arrived at Legends Field yesterday
complaining of soreness in his right elbow and the Yankees immediately sent
their prized closer for an MRI exam that revealed mild bursitis.
The prognosis isn't terrible - Joe Torre said he hopes
Rivera can throw a side session by Friday and can pitch in a game by
Sunday - but any situation involving Rivera is always a lump-in-the-throat
scenario for the Bombers, who already were proceeding slowly with Rivera
because he did not throw all winter.

"If you're going to have a result, this is one you can
live with," Torre said, but later admitted that injuries to Rivera always
are a little alarming because "he's like one of your regular players. He
plays every day, when you win. So you're always concerned, but we weren't
concerned for very long because the tests came back quickly."

Rivera said he was not concerned about the long-term
effects of the setback (he had been scheduled to pitch in last night's game
against the Pirates) and vowed to be be ready for the opener. He has thrown
three scoreless innings in three appearances and normally needs about 10
innings to get in shape for the season.

"God permitting, I'll be ready for the start of the
season," he said. "I've been throwing the ball good, so two more days (off)
won't hurt."

This is the first time Rivera has had a legitimate elbow
injury; the 35-year-old had two stints on the disabled list in 2002 with a
right shoulder strain and his three other trips to the DL were because of
groin problems, most recently at the start of the 2003 season, when he sat
out the first month.

At this point, no one seems to be concerned that this
injury is serious. Rivera said he felt fine while throwing during a workout
on Sunday - he was encouraged that the pain didn't arise from just one pitch
or motion - but woke up with a "swelling" feeling in his elbow yesterday.

"It didn't feel like something I had to be scared (of),"
he said. "It wasn't right, so I had to take precautions."

In years past, Rivera has spent most of his offseason at
his home in Panama and thrown at least lightly throughout the winter. This
winter, however, he remained in New York - not wanting to return to the home
where two relatives of his wife died in a tragic pool accident during the
playoffs - and opted not to throw at all.

Rivera said he didn't believe that decision was related to
this injury and has said on numerous occasions he was happy with his choice
to remain idle. He worked a career-high 74 games last season and recorded 53
saves, but blew three save chances in the playoffs, including two during the
historic collapse to the Red Sox in the ALCS.

"I asked the doctor, and (he said the injury resulted)
just from throwing (this spring)," Rivera said. "Maybe one pitch, I threw
harder than the rest, that could be. I don't know."

Rivera did not get a cortisone injection and will receive
daily treatment on the elbow until he feels well enough to pitch again.

"It will all depend on how he feels," Torre said. "The
anticipation is that it shouldn't lay him up for a long time. If he doesn't
pitch at the end of the week, it's because he's not there yet. It shouldn't
be anything long-term."







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