YANKEES’ RIVERA TEARS ACL IN BATTING PRACTICE

Mariano Rivera tore a ligament in his right knee while shagging ***** during batting practice Thursday night, casting a pall over the New York Yankees even before their 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. The 42-year-old right-hander’s leg caught on the field where the grass meets the dirt, causing his knee to buckle.

Rivera was carted from the field and taken for an MRI exam, and Royals head physician Dr. Vincent Key diagnosed a torn ACL after looking at scans of the knee. “I thought it wasn’t that bad, but it’s torn,” Rivera said after the game, pausing several times in the Yankees clubhouse to compose himself.

He also refused to say whether his career is over. The five-time World Series champion has said he’ll make that decision after the season. “At this point, I don’t know,” Rivera said. “At this point, I don’t know. Going to have to face this first. It all depends on how the rehab is going to happen, and from there, we’ll see.”