Puerto Rico’s quarterfinal against Mexico was March 17. Things like that happen.Įdwin was hurt March 15. Instead, he latched onto positive messages: We got you. Friends told him people on social media were saying he was the one who hurt Edwin. The first few days after Edwin’s injury were difficult for Alexis. And Edwin, whose surgery initially was described as “season-ending,” is working on his own revival for 2023, too. You have to keep doing what you’re doing, do better this year.’”Īlexis has done just that, converting all 13 of his save opportunities with the Reds. You have to keep going, keep pitching, keep doing what you’re doing.’ I told him, ‘This is your second year in the big leagues. “I talked to him because he was saying it was his fault when I got hurt, because he was the one who first hugged me,” said Edwin, who in seven previous major-league seasons had never been on the injured list. And he knew that night, even while facing potential season-ending surgery, that Alexis needed him. Edwin is involved in virtually every aspect of Alexis’ career, right down to picking his walk-out song. Edwin is Alexis’ closest advisor, his role model, his best friend. To Alexis, Edwin is more than simply an older brother. And they relived the pain, the shock of Edwin’s injury, the misfortune of a teammate so kind his nickname is “Sugar.” They relived their moment of joy, their emotional victory over the rival Dominican Republic to advance to the WBC quarterfinals, Edwin’s strikeouts of Ketel Marte, Jean Segura and Teoscar Hernández to close out the victory. That night, after Edwin returned from the hospital to the team hotel in Miami, a number of the Puerto Rican players gathered in his room. Only months before, Edwin had agreed to a guaranteed five-year, $102 million free-agent contract with the Mets. The injury, Maldonado said as he embraced Alexis in the dugout, was no one’s fault. Martín Maldonado, who is from Naguabo, Puerto Rico, the same hometown as the Díazes, reassured Alexis after Edwin left the field in a wheelchair. And I want to thank them for being so concerned about us, and about Edwin, and I really do also feel your pain.Others, though, recall Alexis reacting differently, blaming only himself, saying he somehow had compromised Edwin while the players were jumping gleefully near the pitcher’s mound. Of course, this is sad for all Mets fans. And they are things that can happen just anywhere. Of course, we don't want injuries to happen, but it is part of the game. And not only Puerto Ricans, but every player in the WBC considers being here the ultimate honor. "It is the dream of every Puerto Rican ballplayer to wear Puerto Rico's colors and to represent our country. "While for so many people the regular season is what counts, playing in the WBC means just as much to all of us," Lindor told ESPN. "When you get excessive load put on your knee, it can happen."įrancisco Lindor, a teammate of Diaz's on both the Mets and Puerto Rico, said he understands how Mets fans are feeling but also noted how important the WBC is to players from his country. "It's an injury that's actually really common in the NBA and NFL," Eppler said. It feels super motivated by what happened yesterday - to win for Sugar."Įppler didn't have details on exactly what caused the injury during the WBC postgame celebration but said torn patellar tendons happen more often in other sports. "I can't express to you what that clubhouse feels like. "We're going to do this for our country, and also for Sugar," Baez said. We're praying for him, and we know he's going to come out of this stronger." "To see him get hurt like that, it's a sad thing for Puerto Rico, for all of baseball," Puerto Rico manager and former Cardinals star Yadier Molina said Thursday. He was taken off the field in a wheelchair. As Díaz and his teammates jumped together in the infield, the right-hander collapsed and reached for his right leg. "But those are a little bit more of the exception than the rule."ĭíaz, who turns 29 next week, retired the side in order in the ninth inning Wednesday of a 5-2 victory over the Dominican Republic that sent Puerto Rico to the WBC quarterfinals. "There are instances where athletes have come back earlier, more around the six-month mark," Eppler told reporters. Without going into specifics, Eppler said a general timeline for recovery from this type of injury is about eight months. Mets general manager Billy Eppler said Díaz would undergo surgery Thursday. New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz has a torn patellar tendon and is expected to miss the entire season after injuring his right knee while celebrating a victory in the World Baseball Classic.
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