MLB All-Star Pitcher Suffers Season-Ending Injury While Celebrating World Baseball Classic Win

By Brian Jones

One of the best pitchers in all of baseball will miss the entire 2023 season. The New York Mets announced on Thursday that Edwin Díaz tore his patellar tendon after injuring his right knee while celebrating a win in the World Baseball Classic. He underwent surgery and is expected to miss the entire year. Díaz went to social media to send a message to the fans. 

"To all my beloved fans, especially the Mets fans, I want to let you know that I am doing well and healing," he wrote on social media. "I feel blessed and grateful for your support with messages and prayers, thank you very much! I can't wait to see you guys in NY again and play those trumpets."

Mets general manager Billy Eppler told reporters the recovery time for an injury like Díaz is about eight months. "There are instances where athletes have come back earlier, more around the six-month mark," Eppler said. "But those are a little bit more of the exception than the rule."

Díaz was pitching for team Puerto Rico, and the team defeated the Dominican Republic to advance to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. The 28-year-old pitcher got the final three outs in the ninth inning, leading to him and his teammates jumping together in the infield. Díaz collapsed and reached for his right leg before being taken off the field in a wheelchair. 

"Obviously, tough blow. No doubt about it," teammate Justin Verlander said about Díaz. "One of the best closers in baseball, if not the best. Losing that is not easy. But I don't think any team — I can't think of any team that has gone through an entire season without a major blow. It's a tough game to stay healthy. It's just tough to have it at this point of the year. The optimism is so high and everybody is ready to go, when that happens, it's tough."  

Díaz was with the Seattle Mariners from 2016-2018. He was traded to the Mets before the 2019 season and has been one of the best closers in MLB. Díaz has been named Reliever of the Year twice, named to the All-Star team twice and was selected to the All-MLB First Team last year after posting 32 saves and a 1.31 ERA. 

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