T.J. Rivera is as multifaceted on the field as he is off of it. The Mets' infielder has quietly become one of the more active athletes in the New York and New Jersey areas when it comes to charity events.

So, it should come as no surprise that the Mets' 2017 Roberto Clemente Award nominee was honored by at the 38th annual Thurman Munson Awards dinner at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Tuesday night.

But while he was more than happy to talk about his charitable endeavors and two-month-old daughter Ava, everyone else wanted to know about his elbow. Rivera underwent Tommy John surgery for a torn ulnar collateral ligament last September, an unfortunate blow for a young player with the offensive upside he possesses.

While it might be one of the most popular surgeries for pitchers, it's extremely uncommon for position players, which complicates his timeline. Yankees' prospect Gleybar Torres underwent the procedure on his non-throwing arm last year, but Rivera injured his throwing arm and his return date is still unknown.

Rivera is hoping to be back in action during the first few months of the season, but he's still not throwing. And until he throws a baseball for the first time, there's no telling just when he may be back.

Rivera has already reported to Port St. Lucie and while he continues to rehab his arm, he's working on his lower body and the positional basics of third base. He knows Todd Frazier has the hot corner locked down and that Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes are probably ahead of him on the depth chart, but the 29-year-old Rivera, who has a career average of .304 in the big leagues, is more motivated than ever to make a full return.

Abbey Mastracco may be reached at amastracco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @abbeymastracco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.