Puerto Rico knocked the pre-tournament favorite Dominican Republic out of the World Baseball Classic to advance to the quarterfinals on Wednesday night. However, the victory came with a price.
During the postgame celebration after the 5-2 win, New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz injured his right knee and was carried off the field by teammates and taken to the clubhouse while sitting in a wheelchair.
Diaz struck out the side to secure the win over the Dominican Republic, fanning Teoscar Hernández to close out the game. Teammates rushed to the mound and embraced Diaz, who was hurt in the euphoria.
The Mets announced Wednesday night that Diaz would undergo imaging on Thursday morning.
Diaz became a national sensation last season for the Mets for being summoned out of the bullpen to the sound of trumpets from the song “Narco” by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet.
The 28-year-old had a 1.31 ERA and 32 saves in 2022, receiving Cy Young and MVP votes for a New York team that won 101 games. In the offseason he signed a new five-year, $102 million deal with the Mets – the largest contract ever for a relief pitcher.
Diaz’s brother Alexis, also a pitcher on the Puerto Rican team, was in tears as Edwin was taken off the field.
“[Edwin Diaz] is one of the glue guys in that clubhouse,” Puerto Rico’s Kiké Hernandez said after the game. “He has a really big bank account but his heart is way bigger than his bank account. He’s one of the really special human beings we’ve got in that clubhouse.”