MLB: Philadelphia Phillies sign TJ Rivera in a minor league trade

MLB side
Philadelphia Phillies have signed infielder TJ Rivera in a minor league trade
with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although the MLB trade deadline passed on July 30,
the Phillies were able to get hold of Rivera as he was playing on a minor
league deal and did not feature in any MLB game this season.

The trade means
Rivera will get a second stint with the Phillies organization, as he had signed a
minor league deal with Philadelphia during the 2019-20 offseason. He did not
feature in any action as he was released prior to the opening of the club’s
2020 summer camp.  Rivera played for the
independent Long Island Ducks back in May but was quickly inked to a minors
contract by the Pirates where he has hit .249/.295/.389 over 212 PA for
Triple-A Indianapolis team.

In the
major league, Rivera played over 106 games for the New York Mets in 2016-17,
with the Bronx native delivering a very respectable .304/.335/.445 slash line
in that rather brief amount of playing time. 
He had to undergo Tommy John surgery in September 2017 and continued to
face elbow problems for his time after that with the Mets before the club
eventually released him in 2019.

The
Phillies did not have a good last season as the team posted a negative win and
loss record. The Phillies are right now placed at the summit of the National
League East after six straight victories in the last six games in the currunt season. The
team would want to continue the good form and redeem themselves before the
current season ends.