The return of the Yankees’ Old-Timers’ Day alumni game made for a painful afternoon for Mariano Rivera, as the greatest closer of all time suffered an injury during the exhibition.
A Yankees spokesperson said that Rivera hurt his Achilles during the game, confirming what former teammate Roger Clemens told WFAN’s Suzyn Waldman and Dave Sims. The spokesperson added that Rivera met with Yankees trainers, but he didn’t know the severity of the injury or have any additional information.
Clemens, meanwhile, said that Rivera went to the hospital.
“We all thought it was a hamstring, but I think it’s a little worse than that,” Clemens told WFAN.
When Sims asked if Rivera’s Achilles “popped,” Clemens replied, “I think so.”
Saturday marked the Yankees’ first Old-Timers’ Day alumni game since 2019, as pandemic-era restrictions and injured ex-pinstripers made it impossible or difficult to play the contest in recent years.
Rivera, who always loved to shag flyballs during his playing days, hurt himself while manning center field during a Willie Randolph at-bat. Video taken by The Athletic’s Chris Kirshner showed the 55-year-old on the ground after reacting to a pop-up off Randolph’s bat.
Rivera previously ripped a single off Andy Pettitte, another ex-teammate, and made it to first base without issue.
Prior to getting hurt, Rivera also told reporters that he planned on speaking to embattled Yankees reliever Devin Williams, who has been removed from the closer’s role twice this season. However, Williams said that that meeting didn’t take place because of Rivera’s injury.
The scene of Rivera on the ground called back to 2012, when the all-time saves leader tore his ACL while shagging balls during batting practice in Kansas City.
Rivera returned for one last season in 2013, but there’s no telling if MLB’s only unanimous Hall of Famer will play in another Old-Timers’ Day game following Saturday’s injury.
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