Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera will have surgery on his vocal cords on Friday, but the procedure is not expected to impact his ability to pitch next season.

“It won’t have any effect,” Rivera’s agent, Fern Cuza, said by phone Thursday.

Rivera, 42, will have polyps on his vocal cords removed and then is not expected to be able to speak for a week. He is expected to be recovered by the end of the month.

Rivera finished last year with 44 saves, to go along with a 1-2 record and 1.91 ERA. He will be paid $15 million next season. Rivera has not yet decided how much longer he will pitch.

The polyps have bothered Rivera recently. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, citing HIPPA privacy laws, has declined to talk about the issue because it is not baseball-related.

WRITTEN BY Andrew Marchand covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com & FULL STORY HERE

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