0 1 2 . ▁While ▁helping ▁out ▁in ▁pre - game ▁batt ing ▁practice , ▁River a ▁attempted ▁to ▁catch ▁a ▁fly ▁ball ▁from ▁J ays on ▁N ix ▁when ▁he ▁tw isted ▁his ▁kne e ▁on ▁the ▁warning ▁track ▁of ▁K auff man ▁Stadium ▁and ▁fell ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁ ▁An ▁M RI ▁scan ▁revealed ▁he ▁had ▁torn ▁his ▁anterior ▁cru ci ate ▁lig ament ▁( AC L ) ▁and ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁men is cus . ▁ ▁This ▁prem ature ly ▁ended ▁his ▁season ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁fear s ▁that ▁this ▁could ▁potentially ▁be ▁a ▁career - ending ▁injury . ▁ ▁River a ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁come ▁back ▁and ▁pitch ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁season , ▁his ▁final ▁season ▁in ▁the ▁major ▁le agues ▁before ▁ret iring . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁serious ness ▁of ▁River a ' s ▁inj uries , ▁pitch ers ▁from ▁across ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁( ML B ) ▁who ▁engaged ▁in ▁sh ag ging ▁f lies ▁during ▁batt ing ▁practice ▁said ▁they ▁would ▁not ▁drop ▁the ▁activity ▁or ▁modify ▁their ▁training ▁routine . ▁These ▁included ▁James ▁Sh ield s ▁and ▁J . ▁J . ▁P utz , ▁along ▁with ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁Cy ▁Young ▁Award ▁w inners ▁R . A . ▁Dic key ▁and ▁David ▁Price . ▁ ▁Furthermore , ▁several ▁ML B ▁man agers ▁at ▁the ▁time — nam ely ▁D ale ▁S ve um , ▁Joe ▁M add on , ▁Jim ▁Ley land ▁and ▁Terry ▁Collins — conf ir