Rivera was traded from the Pirates to the Phillies on Saturday, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.
Rivera was let go by Philadelphia in May of 2020, but he'll now rejoin his former club. The 32-year-old appeared in 57 games at Triple-A Indianapolis to begin the year and slashed .249/.295/.389 with five home runs, 24 RBI and 22 runs.
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Pirates' T.J. Rivera: Joins Pirates on minors deal
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Rivera agreed to a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Friday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Rivera has not appeared in the majors since 2017. He underwent Tommy John surgery in September of that year and was slow to recover, spelling the end of his time with the Mets. After a brief stint in the independent Atlantic League, Rivera returned to affiliated ball to continue chasing the dream. A .304/.335/.445 hitter in 106 major-league games, Rivera figures to report to Triple-A Indianapolis to begin his time in the Pirates organization.
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T.J. Rivera: Cut by Philadelphia
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The Phillies released Rivera on Friday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Rivera was one of several players on minor-league deals who was cut loose as Philadelphia prepares for the possibility of none of its minor-league affiliates playing formal games in 2020. The 31-year-old infielder batted .290 in 73 games with the Mets in 2017, but he's logged just 63 plate appearances in affiliated ball since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of that year.
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Phillies' T.J. Rivera: Gets minors deal from Philadelphia
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Rivera agreed Sunday with the Phillies on a minor-league contract, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
It's unclear whether Rivera's deal includes an invitation to big-league spring training, but he'll be a longshot to surface in the majors during the upcoming season in any case. Rivera last saw MLB action in 2017 with the Mets and has missed most of the past two seasons due to injury. He was ineffective in a 15-game stint with the Nationals' Double-A affiliate at Harrisburg in 2019, slashing .237/.293/.316 across 41 plate appearances.
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Nationals' T.J. Rivera: Gets minor-league deal from Nats
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Rivera agreed Sunday with the Nationals on a minor-league contract, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
He'll be assigned to Double-A Harrisburg and take over the active roster spot vacated by another former major-leaguer in reliever Brad Boxberger, who was released by the Nationals. Rivera last appeared in the big leagues in 2017 as a member of the Mets and batted .290 across 231 plate appearances that season, but he's since seen his career derailed by elbow injuries. After being released by the Mets this spring, Rivera latched on in the independent-ball circuit, playing with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
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T.J. Rivera: Heads to independent league
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Rivera will debut for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League on Saturday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Tommy John surgery is typically a less disruptive procedure for hitters than for pitchers, but Rivera is just now getting back into game action after undergoing the surgery back in September of 2017. Rivera is now 30 years old and has just 106 big-league games under his belt, but his .304/.335/.445 slash line at the highest level could earn him looks late in the season if he proves to be healthy and effective in indy ball.
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T.J. Rivera: Cut loose by New York
Rotowire
The Mets released Rivera (elbow) on Saturday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Rivera has endured a painfully slow recovery from September 2017 Tommy John surgery, a procedure that limited him to a handful of rehab games last season. The 30-year-old had yet to appear in any Grapefruit League games this spring while his baseball activities remained restricted, prompting the Mets to cut ties altogether rather than waiting on him any longer. Once Rivera is finally healthy again, he'll likely have to settle for a minor-league deal on the open market.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Spotted on field Thursday
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Rivera (elbow) was seen taking part in fielding drills at second base Thursday, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.
While Rivera isn't shut down from baseball activities, the utility man remains without a clear timeline to enter the Mets' Grapefruit League lineup as he continues his slow recovery from Tommy John surgery. After playing all of six games in 2018 and having yet to make his spring debut, Rivera looks likely to open the upcoming campaign on the Mets' injured list.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Remains held back by elbow
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Rivera is still feeling discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow and isn't close to getting into a spring training game, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Reports from the previous week suggested that Rivera was nearly cleared, but progress has apparently slowed. The 30-year-old appeared in just six minor-league games last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Nearing full clearance for return
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Rivera (elbow) hit, ran and threw without issue Wednesday, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.
Rivera missed the entirety of the 2018 season after suffering some setbacks in his recovery program following Tommy John surgery in September of 2017. However, it seems like he's past those issues and really ramping up his activity. Ehalt commented that there are a few checkmarks to cross off before Rivera is fully cleared for action, but the aforementioned progress suggests Rivera will have no issue being ready for Opening Day. He is competing for a reserve utility spot this spring.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Out for reminder of 2018
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Rivera (elbow) won't return to action this season, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Rivera was yet to resume a minor-league stint after having a setback at High-A St. Lucie. Manager Mickey Callaway has officially ruled Rivera out of the rest of the year, so he'll shift his focus to getting healthy in time for spring training. Rivera last played in 2017, slashing .290/.330/.430 with five homers and 27 RBI through 73 games.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: May not return in 2018
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Manager Mickey Callaway said Monday that Rivera (elbow) may not return to the big leagues this season, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.
Rivera has yet to resume a rehab assignment after suffering a setback in mid-July while with High-A St. Lucie. Prior to that incident, he had played in six rehab contests and was on track to return to the fold in August. Now it appears as though the infielder will remain sidelined for the rest of the year, which makes sense considering there's no incentive for the Mets to rush him back. That said, Callaway didn't rule him out for good, so there's still a chance he could return in mid-to-late September if he's cleared to resume playing in games in the near future.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Needs more time before rehab assignment
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Rivera (elbow) is still 7-to-10 days from beginning a minor-league rehab stint, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.
Rivera was shut down from baseball activities July 18 after suffering a setback during a minor-league game. The timetable for his return has been shifted to late August, as he's still over a week away from embarking an another rehabilitation assignment. Expect more updates on Rivera's status as he begins minor-league play.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Avoids major injury, shut down for 10 days
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Rivera (elbow) will be shut down for 10 days after suffering a setback during a minor-league contest Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Rivera avoided a major injury but he did leave the contest due to soreness in his elbow, per DiComo. He's expected to resume activities next weekend, though he will likely require some time before resuming a rehab assignment. A firm timetable has yet to come to light, but don't expect to see him back with the Mets until the middle of August.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Suffers setback
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Rivera (elbow) exited a minor-league rehab appearance Friday night due to arm soreness, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports .
Rivera began a rehab stint July 5 at High-A St. Lucie, although he'll be reexamined in the coming days after feeling discomfort in his throwing arm. The timetable for his return is unclear following this recent setback.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Begins rehab stint
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Rivera (elbow) will serve as the designated hitter for High-A St. Lucie on Thursday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Rivera underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2017, and after nearly 10 months of rehab, he'll see his first game action. He'll likely need a fair amount of minor-league appearances before the Mets can think about activating him from the disabled list, but this is a big step forward for the 29-year-old third baseman.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Out until at least July
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Rivera (elbow) will be out until at least July, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
He is still "a ways away" from appearing in minor-league rehab games, according to assistant general manager John Ricco. There are some benchmarks in his rehab that he still needs to hit after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of 2017. The return timetables for position players who undergo the procedure is typically mixed, but this new timetable suggests there may have been a setback of sorts, or perhaps he's just not progressing at a typical pace.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Begins throwing program
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Rivera (elbow) began a throwing program last week and has progressed to playing catch from about 45 feet, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.
When spring training opened, Rivera, who underwent Tommy John surgery last September, was hopeful that he would be ready to play by late April. The Mets apparently weren't as optimistic about his recovery and placed Rivera on the 60-day disabled list Feb. 18, ensuring that he would be unavailable for the first two months of the season. Since being moved to the DL, Rivera doesn't seem to have encountered any setbacks in his rehab, but he shouldn't be considered fully healthy until he plays the field in back-to-back minor-league contests. Once he's activated, Rivera will likely be ticketed for a utility role with the Mets.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Moves to 60-day DL
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The Mets placed Rivera (elbow) on the 60-day disabled list Sunday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
New York needed to open up a 40-man roster spot to make room for newly signed starting pitcher Jason Vargas, so it was an easy decision for the team to shift Rivera to the 60-day DL to facilitate the move. Though Rivera previously stated that he was optimistic that he would be able to return from Tommy John surgery and return from the DL shortly after Opening Day, it appears the Mets weren't as confident in the utility man's timeline. Once Rivera is able to take part in a slew of rehab games with the Mets' minor-league affiliates, he could join the big club at some point in June, likely acting as a bench option in the infield.
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Mets' T.J. Rivera: Expects to begin throwing soon
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Rivera (elbow) said last week that he's hopeful to resume throwing later in spring training and gradually progress to hitting after that, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Rivera is still in the process of rehabbing his right elbow after undergoing Tommy John surgery in mid-September, with the Mets projecting him to return at some point in May. The utility infielder is optimistic that he'll be able to beat the team's projected return date, though he acknowledged that he won't be ready to go by Opening Day. With Rivera set to open the season on the disabled list, Jose Reyes and Wilmer Flores look primed to serve as the top backups at multiple infield spots.
