Ed Delany/MMO
The New York Mets announced Saturday that they have released infielder T.J. Rivera.
Rivera, 30, sustained a partial tear to his ulnar collateral ligament in July, 2017 and underwent Tommy John surgery towards the end of that season. He sat out all of 2018 recovering and endured several setbacks in that time period.
This spring, Rivera felt discomfort in his elbow and had yet to get into a game.
Mets’ general manager, Brodie Van Wagenen, said the team released Rivera because they did not have playing time for him at the MLB or Triple-A levels. However, they will help find Rivera a physical therapist to continue his rehab, according to Tim Healey of Newsday.
“With the depth we created in the infield, we have tough decisions to make not only on our Major League roster but also the AAA roster,” Van Wagenen said. “With just a couple weeks left to go in camp, TJ remained behind several players on the depth chart at his position.”
Despite the release, Rivera is optimistic he can catch on somewhere and be a difference maker.
“[I] hope somebody takes the chance on me and understands I’m healthy and ready to play,” Rivera said, according to Matt Ehalt of The Record/North Jersey. “I’m just hoping another team takes a risk on me and gives me an opportunity because I’m in the best shape I’ve been in in a while. I kind of wait and see if there are any openings.
“I’m a realistic guy, I believe in myself still and I know I have a lot of baseball left in me. I’m just ready to get going. The same itch I had to get on the field with the Mets I have to get on with another team. Hopefully I’ll have that opportunity.”
Rivera finishes his Mets career with a .304/.335/.445 triple slash to go along with eight homers and 43 RBI.
Thanks for the memories, T.J. and this clutch home run off Mark Melancon in 2016.
