Mariano Rivera still has blood clot, so surgery is on hold

Just 19 days removed from tearing the ACL in his right knee, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera cruised through the clubhouse Tuesday night at the Stadium without the aid of crutches and showing no sign of a limp.

"When I think of someone tearing an anterior cruciate, I don't think of them walking around so well when it's done," Joe Girardi said. "I joked with him, 'How about July? You're walking around so well, maybe you don't need anything.' "

Just one problem: Rivera said he still has a blood clot, and he's still taking blood-thinning medication. So, no date has been set for surgery, and it might be a while because patients on blood thinners can't undergo surgery.

Rivera admitted as much when asked if the clot is affecting the timeline until surgery, saying, "Yeah, it does, but we're trying to work on the clot. In the meantime, I'm strengthening . . . The little I can do is what we're doing. Moving, range of motion."

The delay might be frustrating to fans who want to start the clock ticking for Rivera's return from surgery as soon as possible in the hope he'll be back early next season. All he could do was shrug. "It's not frustrating because you can't do nothing about it," he said. "You have to focus on what you can do. I don't see it like it's frustration. I see it like this is what we have to do."

He's happy simply to be off crutches. "Believe it, believe it," he said. "I didn't like that."

Girardi believes that's the most positive sign because it suggests he's getting a head start on the physical part of rehab even before surgery. "The doctors have talked about waiting until it's really strong and flexible and that's why they're doing it because then the rehab is easier," Girardi said. "Maybe you take a little bit longer now, but from my understanding, it might be a little shorter on the other side."