New York Mets star Edwin Díaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee in celebration of Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night.
Diaz, 28 years old, underwent a successful repair on Thursday and is expected to begin a rehab program in about a week, the Mets tweeted.
Díaz was injured as the team members jumped up and down and hugged after their 5-2 victory at LoanDepot Park in Miami.
He was limping toward the canoe, struggling to put weight on his right leg. He eventually used his left leg to jump onto a wheelchair.
Díaz’s brother and Puerto Rico teammate Alexis cried as Edwin was taken off the field.
In a tweet Thursday night, Díaz said he was thanks for the messages of support and that he is “well and recovering”.
The patellar tendon connects the bottom of the kneecap to the top of the tibia. It “takes a very strong force” to tear it, but a person can injure it by jumping or falling,” according to OrthoInfo.
Edwin Díaz pitched a perfect ninth inning to help Puerto Rico advance to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic. He will face Mexico on Friday in Miami.
Díaz led the 2022 season with 32 saves and a career-best 1.31 ERA. He signed a five-year, $102 million contract with the Mets.
This is baseball’s first World Classic since 2017, a quadrennial tournament that isn’t universally embraced in the United States.
Díaz’s injury immediately fueled competition critics, who believe the best baseball players in the world should focus solely on their upcoming domestic seasons each March.
Howie Rose, Mets radio play-by-play announcer tweeted“Thank you, WBC”, shortly after Díaz’s injury.
Radio personality and former major league mate Kevin Frandsen defended the WBC and responded to Rose, saying injuries happen all the time: “When I blew my Achilles in 2008, should that have been thanks, Spring Training?”
On Thursday, Rose had backed down from her harsh criticism and suggested the tournament be played after the domestic season.
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman injured his hamstring while playing in the tournament for Canada, prompting former MSNBC host and famous baseball fan Keith Olbermann to demand the elimination of the WBC.
He called it a “meaningless exposition” made to sell goods.