T.J. Rivera is coming into Spring Training having not played in an MLB game since July of 2017, prior to getting Tommy John Surgery that cost him the entirety of last season.
Rivera, 30, tried making a comeback midseason last year, but suffered a setback and obviously never got back to the Mets last season. He attributed that setback to trying to rush back quicker than his body would actually let him, as detailed by Tim Healey of Newsday.
“I tried. I tried a little too hard, I think, and maybe rushed my body a little bit. It just wasn’t ready. I’m just glad to be ready now and start this spring fresh.”
With the team having acquired Robinson Cano, J.D. Davis, and Jed Lowrie for the infield, it appears that Rivera might not have a clear path to making the team as he will have to compete with Dominic Smith, Luis Guillorme, and Davis for the final two bench spots on the team.
However, the infielder doesn’t plan on starting the year in the minors, but understands the reality of his situation and the fact that he still has minor league options at the team’s disposal.
“That’s not the goal, but that’s a possibility, absolutely. I’m just going to come in here and show what I’m capable of. I believe in myself. You can’t really expect others to believe in you. You have to [earn it]. That’s my goal, to come in here and show what I’m capable of.”
Despite his recent injury issues, Rivera has impressed in his short time at the big-league level, in which he most recently hit .290/.330/.430 with five home runs, 27 RBI, and 103 OPS+ during the 2017 season.
Rivera has even started a playoff game, specifically the NL Wild Card Game in 2016 against the San Francisco Giants, in which he was one of only four Mets hitters to register a hit against Madison Bumgarner.
The 2019 season will prove to be a pivotal year for Rivera and he’s going to be working as hard as ever to earn a role on this team with the Mets possessing a plethora of infield depth options.
