Mariano Rivera Tears Achilles During Yankees Alumni Game

A tough blow for the Hall of Fame closer.

Mariano Rivera played in the Yankees' traditional Old Timers' Game on Saturday. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

On Saturday, the Yankees hosted their first Old Timers' Game in six years. Once an annual staple of New York's season, the franchise was forced to pause the alumni baseball game due to COVID-19 and spent the last few years refining the format. Last month, they announced that the Old Timers' Game would return, with several former stars set to play a few innings in front of fans at Yankee Stadium, including Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera.

The game took place before the Yanks took on the visiting Astros on Saturday, and in honor of the occasion, Clemens hopped on WFAN's radio broadcast with Suzyn Waldman and Dave Sims. During his appearance, Clemens said Rivera suffered an Achilles injury during the Old Timers' Game and was at the hospital getting evaluated as he spoke.

"It was a fun day until we just heard about Mariano," Clemens said to Waldman and Sims during New York's win, via reporter Molly Knight. "Mariano hurt his Achilles... I don't know what was going on. We all thought it was a hamstring ,but I think it's a little worse than that."

Clemens went on to say he thinks Rivera may have popped his Achilles, and he was at the hospital getting evaluated.

Shortly after the Yankees beat the Astros, 5-4, Rivera's agent confirmed to The Athletic the former closer had torn his Achilles and will undergo surgery to repair it.

The 55-year-old Rivera played 19 seasons for the Yankees and became the first player to be elected unanimously to the Hall of Fame in 2019.

---

More MLB on Sports Illustrated

feed