Ed Delany/MMO
New York Mets’ utility player T.J. Rivera played in the field for the first time since making his return to game action this week for the Advanced-A St. Lucie Mets.
Rivera, 29, underwent Tommy John surgery in September of last season and made his first rehab start on Thursday night, going 0-for-4 as the team’s designated hitter.
He played second base today and collected his first base hit of the 2018 season, a one-out single to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning of the Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Dunedin Blue Jays.
Today’s game was the first of a doubleheader after last night’s game was rained out. Rivera is not in tonight’s lineup.
The Bronx native has a .304/.335/.445 slash line over 344 MLB plate appearances with a 108 OPS+ and 162-game averages of 26 doubles, 66 runs batted in, and 148 hits.
It doesn’t hurt that he plays every infield position except for shortstop and does so somewhat capably (0 DRS/0.4 UZR at first base, -1 DRS/0.4 UZR at second, -5 DRS/-3.2 UZR at third).
With the possibility of a spot at second base opening up soon and the team’s next best options being Luis Guillorme and Jeff McNeil, T.J. Rivera could find himself right in the middle of the playing-time conversation by the time he returns.
