NEW YORK — Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera suffered a torn Achilles tendon while pursuing a fly ball during the New York Yankees' Old-Timers' Day game on Saturday. His agent, Fern Cuza, confirmed that the 55-year-old closer, who holds the record for the most career saves in Major League Baseball, will undergo surgery within the week.

In his only at-bat of the game, Rivera hit a single off former teammate Andy Pettitte and ran to first base without issue. However, during an at-bat by Willie Randolph, Rivera took a step and collapsed in shallow center field behind second base.

The Yankees revived the Old-Timers' Day event for the first time since 2019. Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, who attended the event for the first time, expressed concern over Rivera's injury. "It was a fun day until we heard about Mariano. Mariano hurt his Achilles," Clemens told broadcaster Suzyn Waldman. "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. I think he’s at the hospital now. Unbelievable."

This incident marks the second injury during the Old-Timers' Day event since 2017. In 2015, former outfielder Paul O’Neill strained a calf while running to first base. Rivera previously tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in May 2012 while shagging fly balls during batting practice in Kansas City. He made a successful return for his final season in 2013, finishing with 652 career saves and 42 postseason saves.

In 2019, Rivera became the first player to be unanimously inducted into the Hall of Fame, receiving all 425 votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He played a crucial role in helping the Yankees secure five World Series titles and seven American League pennants.

Rivera participated in the Old-Timers' Game for the second time, having previously hit an inside-the-park home run in 2019. This year's event celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Yankees' 2000 championship team, the last team to win three consecutive World Series titles.

Derek Jeter, the Yankees' captain, sent a video message that was played during the event. Before the game, Rivera mentioned his intention to speak with struggling reliever Devin Williams, who has faced challenges in recent outings. "Can’t do nothing about it," Rivera said. "Once it’s done, it’s done. Just learn from it, move on and be confident. You have to be confident in yourself. If you’re not confident in yourself, you’re playing the wrong sport."