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What a terrible night for Edwin Diaz, the New York Mets and the WBC.
The star reliever went down with a serious lower leg injury after Team Puerto Rico defeated the Dominican Republic, 5-2, in the World Baseball Classic.
Diaz’s injury was so severe that the 28-year-old couldn’t put weight on his right leg and required teammates to carry him off the field and onto a wheelchair. Worst of all was how it happened.
Once Diaz registered the final strikeout of the evening, teammates from Puerto Rico’s bench rushed to him on the mound. As the group was jumping around, shoulder to shoulder, Diaz went down and a huddle soon formed.
Broadcast cameras showed Diaz grimacing on the ground and unable to get up under his own strength.
It was a freak injury to Diaz that quickly switched the mood of the postgame atmosphere from celebratory to sad for Puerto Rico.
As well as for Mets fans tuning in to watch their prized reliever.
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Nightmare Scenario For Mets, Steve Cohen
Diaz managed to get up and limp his way to the bench, only to quit after a few skips.
Teammates carried an emotional Diaz off the field as crowds were still shocked by the leg injury.
It was an unfortunate turn for Diaz and, frankly, a worst-case scenario for the New York Mets.
Steve Cohen and the Mets signed Diaz to the largest contract ever for a relief pitcher (5 years, $102 million). Based on his dominance, it was a no-brainer contract for the organization.
Diaz, the most-talked-about pitcher in MLB last season, is now in danger of losing a considerable stretch of time due to injury, if not the entirety of the upcoming season.
Puerto Rico’s win propelled them to the quarterfinals where they’ll take on Mexico next.
Will Diaz’s injury change MLB teams’ attitudes toward letting their stars play in the WBC?
Stay tuned with OutKick for more updates
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