Edwin Díaz Undergoes Successful Surgery
Credit: Dale Zanine – USA TODAY
Updated Post – March 16, 20:16 PM
The New York Mets have confirmed that Edwin Díaz has undergone successful surgery on the torn patellar tendon in his right knee. Díaz is now expected to begin a formal rehab program in about a week. The Mets stated that they will provide additional updates as and when they become available.
It is still expected, however, that the star closer will miss the entire 2023 season.
Original Post – March 16, 13:55 PM
Edwin Díaz will undergo surgery for a patellar tendon injury on Thursday, and will miss at least eight months. The news was confirmed by the New York Mets.
Díaz suffered a full-thickness tear in the patellar tendon in his right knee and, as a result, he is likely to miss the entire 2023 season.
Edwin Díaz underwent imaging today that revealed a full-thickness tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee. He will have surgery today performed by Dr. David Altchek.
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 16, 2023
It was reported by Andy Martino of SNY earlier on Thursday that Díaz was set to undergo an MRI on his right knee, with sources indicating that the injury was “bad” and the superstar closer could miss significant time.
The Mets’ worst fears have now been confirmed after general manager Billy Eppler met with the media earlier on Thursday. Eppler confirmed that Díaz tore his patellar tendon and, while the general timeline for such an injury is six months, it is expected that Díaz’s timeline will be nearer the eight-month mark.
Eppler also said that Díaz is in “great spirts. Last night when he talked to me, he was like, ‘Don’t worry. This is going to be fine.”
Mets owner Steve Cohen also told Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports: “It’s such a freak accident. Just so unlucky. He’s such a good guy. It’s just terrible. He just wants to win a World Series, that’s what he expresses to me. We’re all just kind of taking it all in right now.”
Cohen also released the following statement via Twitter:
Edwin Diaz is a great human being and a fierce competitor. All of us at the Mets are shaken but determined to sustain our quest for a great season. We wish Edwin a speedy recovery.
— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) March 16, 2023
The injury took place moments after Díaz pitched the final out for Puerto Rico in their Pool D win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night. The star reliever appeared to badly hurt his leg during the celebrations following the game, and he could visibly not put any weight on his right leg.
He needed help getting off the field and could be seen being helped into the tunnel with the assistance of a wheelchair. Díaz’s brother, Reds pitcher Alexis Díaz, was visibly moved to tears after watching his brother being helped into the dugout.
Díaz pitched a perfect ninth inning for Puerto Rico before suffering the apparent injury, helping his team knock out the Dominican Republic and advance to the WBC quarterfinals.
It goes without saying that losing Díaz for such a substantial amount of time, and likely the entire 2023 season, is a crushing blow for the Mets who are seen as legit World Series contenders. While that won’t change, their chances have been dented somewhat given just how important Díaz is to this team.
He pitched to a stellar 1.31 ERA with 118 strikeouts and 32 saves in 62 innings pitched. Díaz’s superb year on the mound led to him signing a historic five-year, $102 million contract earlier in the offseason.
Now that Díaz is likely out for the year, David Robertson and Brooks Raley could move up the pecking order in terms of taking over save duties for the Mets. It is also worth noting that the Mets will attend a simulated game and a showcase being thrown by lefty reliever Zack Britton on Thursday. Britton could become more of an attractive option now that Díaz is out for a substantial amount of time.
However, there is no getting away from the fact that this is a devastating body blow for the Mets, and the loss of Díaz is one that won’t be easy to absorb.
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