Mariano Rivera Having Surgery

I hate to be the messenger of this news, but it is very true - Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is going to have surgery. However, the surgery that Mo is going to have will have zero impact on his ability to throw a cutter and add on to his MLB record saves total.

At some point tomorrow, Rivera will have surgery to remove polyps from his vocal cords. He will not be able to speak for a week and will make a complete recovery by the end of the month.

According to his agent Fern Cuza, this procedure is not expected to affect his ability to pitch in 2012. The polyps have bothered Rivera recently, but Cuza says they are believed to be non-cancerous.

The 42-year-old future Hall of Fame closer finished the 2011 season with 44 saves and a 1.91 ERA. In 2012, Rivera will be entering the final year of a 2-year contract he signed before the 2011 season, earning $15 million.