What was meant to be a celebratory afternoon at Yankee Stadium turned somber on Saturday when Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the Yankees’ first Old-Timers’ Day alumni game since 2019.
The 55-year-old Yankees legend went down in shallow center field during an at-bat by Willie Randolph, collapsing after taking a step toward a fly ball. Rivera’s agent, Fernando Cuza, confirmed he will undergo surgery next week in the New York area.
Rivera, MLB’s all-time leader in saves with 652, had moments earlier singled off former teammate Andy Pettitte in his only at-bat. He reached first base without issue, but minutes later was helped off the field after the non-contact injury. Video captured by The Athletic showed Rivera on the ground, grimacing in pain.
“We all thought it was a hamstring, but I think it’s a little worse than that,” former teammate Roger Clemens told WFAN. “I think he’s at the hospital now. Unbelievable.” Clemens later added that he believed Rivera’s Achilles had “popped.”
Before the game, Rivera had told reporters he planned to speak with struggling Yankees reliever Devin Williams, who has recently been removed from the closer’s role. That conversation never happened due to the injury.
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Cuza told the Daily News that Rivera initially iced the injury in the clubhouse and spoke with Yankees trainers before heading for further evaluation. “He said he was hitting and running and diving and doing everything else,” Cuza said. “And going after a simple fly ball, he just felt a pop.”
The incident was a painful reminder of Rivera’s 2012 season-ending ACL tear, suffered while shagging fly balls during batting practice in Kansas City. That injury kept him out for the remainder of the year, though he returned for a farewell season in 2013.
Saturday’s Old-Timers’ Day marked the 25th anniversary of the Yankees’ 2000 World Series title — the last team to win three straight championships. The alumni game featured Pettitte on the mound, Jorge Posada behind the plate, and Clemens making his first appearance at the event. Derek Jeter, who has avoided playing in Old-Timers’ Day over fear of injury, appeared only via video message.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who did not participate due to pregame meetings, said before the game that bringing back the on-field alumni contest was “the right call.”
“It’s something that makes our Old-Timers’ Day unique,” Boone said. “Seeing these guys out there, seeing your heroes that are well past their prime going out and still flashing a little bit, that makes for a cool thing.”
Participation in the game requires players to sign liability waivers acknowledging the risks — though serious injuries have been rare. The last major one came in 2017, when Paul O’Neill strained a calf running to first base.
Rivera, the first unanimous inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019, helped lead the Yankees to five World Series titles and seven AL pennants over his 19-year career. Saturday’s injury leaves his future participation in Old-Timers’ Day uncertain — and cast a shadow over what was otherwise a long-awaited celebration in the Bronx.
