T.J. Rivera: Heads to independent league

Rivera will debut for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League on Saturday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Tommy John surgery is typically a less disruptive procedure for hitters than for pitchers, but Rivera is just now getting back into game action after undergoing the surgery back in September of 2017. Rivera is now 30 years old and has just 106 big-league games under his belt, but his .304/.335/.445 slash line at the highest level could earn him looks late in the season if he proves to be healthy and effective in indy ball.