NEW YORK — Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera suffered a torn Achilles tendon while going after a fly ball during the New York Yankees Old-Timers’ Day game Saturday and needs surgery.
Agent Fern Cuza said the 55-year-old retired closer, baseball’s career leader in saves, will have the operation within a week.
In his lone at-bat, Rivera singled off former teammate Andy Pettitte and easily ran to first base. During an at-bat by Willie Randolph, Rivera took a step and fell to the ground in shallow center field behind second base.
The Yankees restored the Old-Timers’ Day game for the first time since 2019.
“It was a fun day until we heard about Mariano. Mariano hurt his Achilles,” seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens told WFAN broadcaster Suzyn Waldman. “I don’t know what was going o