Exit Sandman Mariano Rivera the greatest closer ever might be finished

The quotes from Yankees manager Joe Girardi and his players say it all:

"That's about as bad as it gets," Girardi said, according to the New York Post. "You lose a Hall of Famer it changes [the bullpen] a lot. We like the depth of our bullpen and it just got a little bit shorter. We'll have to find a way to get through it."

"I thought we were hoping for the best," said Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira to the New York Times. "I told you this game is cruel before the game. It's even more cruel now. That's terrible. You can't say anything else. It's terrible."

Mariano Rivera, shagging balls in the outfield before Thursday's game in Kansas City, stepped awkwardly when retreating for a fly ball and tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, writhing in pain on the Kauffman Stadium warning track.

The 42-year-old all-time saves leader is certainly out for the season, and the Yankees need to find a new closer for the first time since 1997. Rivera has hinted that this is his final season. Coming back from an ACL tear on his plant leg is a devastating injury. But if Jamie Moyer can come back from reconstructive elbow surgery at age 49, Rivera could certainly come back from a knee injury, if the will is there.

"At this point I don't know, I don't know, we have to face this first," Rivera said to the Times, when asked if his career could be over. "It all depends how the rehab is going to happen. From there, we'll see."

It's been a devastating run for closers around the majors in the first month of the season. Andrew Bailey, Kyle Farnsworth, Ryan Madson, Joakim Soria, Sergio Santos, Drew Storen and Brad Lidge are all on the DL, soon to be joined by the greatest of them all.

The Yankees have some options: They will likely go with Rafael Soriano or David Robertson in the role. Soriano was a very good closer for Tampa Bay two years ago, and Robertson is probably the best setup reliever in baseball right now.

Update: Rivera says he'll attempt a comeback in 2013. But he has already had a complication.