Edwin Díaz injury update: Mets closer likely out for 2023 MLB season after hurting knee during WBC celebration

The New York Mets will most likely not feature in the Edwin Diaz All-Star Game for the entire 2023 MLB season. On Thursday, general manager Billy Eppler announced that Diaz suffered a complete rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating on the Puerto Rico field following their victory over the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic. . Diaz will undergo surgery on Thursday and the recovery time is usually eight months.

“In general, we don’t have many opportunities to stand in the way when a player leaves (to the WBC). There are certain criteria that must be met in order for a player not to leave.” Eppler told Washington Post about retaining players from the WBC. “When we were given this runway, we took it. We took her with (Starling) Martha. We filed an objection to Martha because we could. But I don’t want to go into details here.”

Teams can only ban players from the WBC with certain injuries, and Marte survived after undergoing abdominal surgery in the off-season. The entire New York starting lineup – first baseman Pete Alonso (USA), second baseman Jeff McNeil (USA), shortstop Francisco Lindor (Puerto Rico), third baseman Eduardo Escobar (Venezuela) – still plays in the WBC, as established. man Adam Ottavino. Ottavino candidate to replace Diaz as closer.

It’s hard to say exactly how Diaz injured his knee, but here’s a look at the incident in question:

Diaz recorded the last three strikeouts in Puerto Rico’s upset win over a big team from the Dominican Republic. He and his teammates didn’t celebrate too much, and he wasn’t caught off guard or anything like that. It looks like Diaz was just jumping around with his teammates when his knee gave out.

Other players were seriously injured in the WBC tournament. Among them, New York Yankees first baseman Marc Teixeira tore a tendon in his wrist while training with Team USA in 2013. This sabotaged his year and eventually required surgery at the end of the season. Lefty Drew Smiley, then of the Seattle Mariners, injured his elbow with Team USA in 2017 and Tommy John needed surgery.

Diaz, 29, signed a five-year, $102 million contract on March 22 last offseason. This is the largest pitcher contract in history, in terms of both total guarantee and average annual value. Diaz is finishing off a historic season with a 1.31 ERA (297 ERA+) and a 6.56 strikeout ratio per 62 innings walk. He also finished with 32 saves in 61 matches.

While Diaz is irreplaceable in the ninth inning, the Mets still have a veteran end-of-the-inning relief team that includes former All-Star David Robertson, left-hander Brooks Reilly and Ottavino. However, the Mets have recently lost right-handers Sam Coonrod (lat strain) and Bryce Montez de Oca (elbow stress response) to injuries, so their bullpen depth has taken a big hit this week.

Zach Britton, who spent all those years with Mets manager Buck Showalter in Baltimore, remains a free agent and has been speculated for weeks as a fit for New York. Veterans Ken Giles, Corey Knebel and Mike Minor are also not signed. Swapping for pitching in March is difficult, though a rebuilding club may want to part with a costly closure before reopening.

Major League Baseball players in the WBC must be insured, so the Mets will be compensated while Diaz is on the sidelines. The inability to obtain insurance sometimes forced players to refuse to participate in the tournament. For example, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw was reportedly one such case earlier this spring.

Really, Ben Lindberg of The Ringer calculated the numbers after the 2017 WBC and came to the following conclusion:: “the evidence for an injury effect is not strong enough to justify a ban on players, especially since a crowded tournament is great fun for fans – and, in the long run, potentially beneficial for baseball, which in turn enriches teams.”

The Mets went 101-62 last season but lost to the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card Series. Owner Steve Cohen authorized an increase in free agent spending — an increase in spending that included re-signing Diaz — bringing the team’s payroll to over $350 million. The club’s tax balance will be over $100 million.

Given this salary and wealth tax, the Mets are under enormous pressure to win the World Series in 2023.. Diaz’s injury is unfortunate and a major blow to the Mets. but the WBC remains worthwhile.