Mets infielder T.J. Rivera to have Tommy John surgery

You might be losing track of all the Mets’ injured players this year—understandably—but infielder T.J. Rivera will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow this week. While that surgery has more significant implications for pitchers, it’s not necessarily a breeze for a position player to come back from.

Having made his way from the big leagues after starting his career as an undrafted free agent, Rivera impressed in 113 plate appearances last year and followed that debut up with a solid campaign this season. In 231 plate appearances in 2017, he hit .290/.330/.430 with five home runs and a 102 wRC+. That’s not spectacular, but it’s solid enough that he seemed to prove that he was a capable major league hitter.

Whether or not Rivera begins the major league season with the Mets will depend on his recovery from the surgery, but it would be somewhat surprising if he did. Here’s hoping that he will fully recover, though, and return to the team at some point next season.