Rivera unavailable with ‘stiffness in his side’

Updated (9:59 p.m.): When the 9th rolled around tonight with the Yanks holding onto a three-run lead, “Enter Sandman” did not play over the Yankee Stadium PA system, and Mariano Rivera did not come out of the bullpen. Instead, Joba Chamberlain came out to secure the final three outs of the game, and Yankee fans grew concerned. With Jorge Posada already on his way to the MRI machine and Curtis Granderson on the DL, no one wanted another injury. After the game, Joe Girardi said that Rivera had stiffness in his left side. He first felt a twinge after pitching on Friday.

In speaking to the media after the game, Joe Girardi addressed Mariano’s pain. It isn’t an oblique injury per se, and the Yankees’ trainers are calling it a flank injury. “Level of concern: It’s definitely gotten better each day,” the Yanks’ manager said, “and he played catch today and felt ok. It would be nice to give him another day off but we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”