LOS ANGELES -- So much of what Steven Matz does for his community, he does quietly. Upon hearing the story earlier this year of the late FDNY lieutenant Christopher Raguso, who died in March in a helicopter crash near Syria while serving in the Air National Guard, Matz donated money to the FDNY Foundation to aid Raguso's two young children. Matz has likewise played an integral role in the Mets' partnership with the Special Olympics, and has traveled to rural Honduras to assist orphans and underprivileged youths.
For those reasons and others, the Mets on Tuesday announced Matz as their nominee for Major League Baseball's Roberto Clemente Award, which annually honors the player who "best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions."
"I think it's a true honor, to be in a group with as many guys who have been nominated in the past, as well as with Roberto Clemente himself," Matz said. "He was a bigger than life hero, not just on the field, but off the field as well."

The centerpiece of Matz's community work is his "Tru32" program, which he began in 2016. Each home Wednesday during the regular season, Matz invites 32 first responders from the NYPD, FDNY and other civil-service groups to Citi Field, spending time with them before the game.
MLB will announce the Clemente Award winner during the World Series next month.
Shutting it down
Week by week, as Mets infielder T.J. Rivera rehabbed his right elbow this summer in Port St. Lucie, Fla., he watched teammates come and go. While other rehabbing players routinely healed and flew back to New York, Rivera remained stationary, stuck recovering bit by bit from Tommy John surgery.
It was not until July 5 that Rivera finally made it back into a game, on a rehab assignment with Class A St. Lucie. But a week later, Rivera was back on the sidelines after experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired elbow. Doctors diagnosed Rivera with an elbow sprain; he received a PRP injection and never made it back to the field.
"There were so many times when I thought I'd be back and it just wasn't feeling right," Rivera said in a telephone interview. "I think I underestimated the injury, or underestimated the surgery. I thought it was just, go through the process and, boom, you're ready. The more and more I talked to guys, the more I heard about how much of a rollercoaster ride it is."
Although Rivera is glad to rest his elbow during what he hopes will be a "normal" offseason in Alabama with his wife and infant daughter, he catches himself stressing sometimes about his future. A .304 hitter over 106 games from 2016-17, Rivera -- simply by being injured -- appears to have fallen behind Jeff McNeil on the Mets' organizational depth chart. With McNeil, Amed Rosario, Todd Frazier and Wilmer Flores all locks for the 2019 roster, there are no guarantees Rivera will also be part of it.
"I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't [think about it]," Rivera said. "Those things of course do run through my mind because I want to be part of this team in the future. I believe I have a future with the team. Just knowing that I can't do anything to help my chances right now, that's the toughest part to swallow. But I wish the best for everybody that is playing, and I truly just want an opportunity to get back out there."
Rivera's next real chance will come in February, when he reports to Spring Training as a healthy, non-rehab player. A former undrafted signee who routinely posted standout Minor League seasons before the Mets finally called him up at age 27, Rivera is no stranger to the type of competition he figures will await him there.
"I don't mind that feeling of having to prove myself," Rivera said. "I hope to have a long career, and I hope that every year, I come in with that same mentality no matter what."
Nearly here
Reliever Anthony Swarzak, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 4 due to right shoulder inflammation, struck out two batters in a scoreless inning Monday for Class A Brooklyn. The Mets expect Swarzak, who has posted a 6.00 ERA during the first season of a two-year, $14 million contract, to return at some point on their next homestand.
Swarzak and -- presumably -- David Wright will be the Mets' only remaining roster additions this season. The team does not plan to call up any other prospects in September.