New York Mets infielder T.J. Rivera made his first step back to the major leagues on Thursday night when he was the designated hitter for the Advanced-A St. Lucie Mets.
Rivera, playing for the first time since last July, went 0-for-4 with two line outs as the No. 3 batter for the St. Lucie Mets.
The 29-year-old Rivera had Tommy John surgery in September and there had been very little reports about his progress up until Thursday.
With a .324/.370/.435 slash line over his seven seasons in the minors, Rivera made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2016. Through 106 major league games (319 at-bats), he’s hitting .304/.335/.445 with eight home runs, 27 runs batted in, and 17 doubles.
Rivera returning could make Wilmer Flores expendable as the July 31 trade deadline gets closer.
