(Port Saint Lucie) New York Mets goaltender Edwin Diaz suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating his team’s victory in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), and is expected to miss the entire season. 2023.
Mets general manager Billy Eppler said Diaz will have surgery on Thursday. Without going into all the details, Eppler noted that the typical time for such an injury to heal is about eight months.
“There are cases where athletes have returned earlier, closer to six months,” Eppler told reporters.
“But these examples are more the exception than the rule,” he added.
Diaz, who will turn 29It is birthday on Wednesday, struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning in Puerto Rico’s 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday. The victory guaranteed Puerto Rico a spot in the quarterfinals.
As Diaz and his teammates jumped for joy in the infield section, the right-handed pitcher passed out before grabbing his right leg.
He left the field in a wheelchair.
Eppler said he spoke with Diaz on several occasions and noted that the right-handed pitcher was in “great morale”.
“He’s a resilient human being,” noted Eppler. “That’s why he is the cork that he is. The guy doesn’t let himself be bothered. »
The Mets signed a five-year, $102 million contract – the most lucrative ever for an endgame specialist – after he had a spectacular 2022 campaign.
All players’ contracts are covered by insurance, through the CMB, which covers the period of absence of the player due to an injury that occurred during the tournament.
Diaz was 3-1 with a 1.31 ERA and 32 saves in 35 chances with the Mets in 2022. He also struck out 118 in 62 innings last season.
He was invited to the All-Star Game for the second time and finished ninth in the Cy Young Trophy in the National League.
Diaz, who will turn 29It is birthday on Wednesday, struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning in Puerto Rico’s 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday. The victory guaranteed Puerto Rico a spot in the quarterfinals.
As Diaz and his teammates jumped for joy in the infield section, the right-handed pitcher passed out before grabbing his right leg.
He left the field in a wheelchair.