Rivera was born on 10 August 1977 in the Marianao municipality of Havana.[1] He made his Cuban National Series debut on 17 November 1996 playing for Isla de la Juventud under manager Armando Johnson.[2] That season, he appeared in 40 games, recording a .242/.270/.326 batting line.[3]
In 2013, Rivera was selected to represent Cuba at the 2013 World Baseball Classic.[2][4] He appeared in five games, recording four at bats, three runs scored, one hit, and a .250/.250/.250 batting line.[5]
On 19 December 2020, Rivera recorded his 2,000th hit in a game against pitcher Adrián Bueno of the Elefantes de Cienfuegos, becoming the twenty-sixth player to reach the milestone in the Cuban National Series.[6][7]
As of the 2025–26 season, Rivera ranks eighth in hits in Cuban National Series history and is the all-time hits leader for Isla de la Juventud, with 2,202.[2][3]