Mariano Rivera had targeted Old-Timers’ Day to share a moment and share advice with struggling Yankees reliever Devin Williams, believing he could help.
The greatest closer of all time never made it to him.
Rivera tore his Achilles during the alumni game, his agent, Fernando Cuza, said after the festivities and after the Yankees’ 5-4 win over the Astros in The Bronx on Saturday. Rivera will undergo surgery next week.
The exact timing of the injury — he ran the bases on a single and played the outfield during the brief exhibition — is unclear.
The Yankees held the alumni game for the first time since 2019 and had shelved it in part because of the injury risk associated with older people running and throwing after often long periods without running or throwing.
Rivera has famously had a history of freak practice injuries. In May 2012, he was shagging fly balls before a game and tore his ACL, knocked out for the rest of that season.
The injury sidetracked Rivera’s intention to speak with Williams. Before the festivities, Rivera said he did not want to reveal what would have been his precise message.
Rivera — the first and only unanimously voted Hall of Famer and unquestionably the best reliever ever — did not have a ton of struggles through 19 seasons, but he still learned how to handle the adversity that comes with the game and comes with the closer role.
“Forget about it,” Rivera said about overcoming struggles such as a blown save. “You can’t do nothing about it. What’s done is done. Move on and be confident. You have to be confident in yourself. If you’re not confident in yourself, why are you playing the sport?”
A night earlier, Williams acknowledged his confidence is not “as high as it’s ever been,” after essentially costing his team a third game in as many appearances. Williams, a two-time All-Star with the Brewers who has been among the best arms in the game in his career, owns a 5.73 ERA and has allowed at least a run in his past five games.
“Any time Mo’s around, I know guys — not just guys in the pen, but everyone — appreciate the wisdom he provides,” manager Aaron Boone said before the win. “What Mariano was so good at was just that he wasn’t affected by yesterday’s performance.”
Boone has said he wants to find less-stressful situations for Williams to help reclaim his confidence.
“[Williams] needs to be a little more positive,” said Old-Timer Jorge Posada, who knew how to guide pitchers through rough times. “You got to get him through … these key situations. Hopefully he gets his mind right.”
