The New York Mets had their home opener on Friday, against the Miami Marlins.
Citi Field was packed to watch their team play for the first time in months.
The player introductions represented a touching moment for everyone in attendance, as injured Mets closer Edwin Diaz was there to meet his fans for the first time since tearing the patellar tendon in the World Baseball Classic.
He didn’t forget his crutches!
The best thing of all is that the team played “Narco”, by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet.
That’s his entrance song, the one that made him thousands of fans around the world and made him even more famous than he already was.
It was an extremely cool moment, and fans, of course, went to Twitter to express their excitement.
⚾️ Not going to lie, seeing Edwin Diaz come out and get standing ovation gave me chills 🎺pic.twitter.com/ZMxdglNbmy
— Edgar Woo (@ewooism) April 7, 2023
I am crying, we need Edwin Díaz 💪🏻
— MetsAvenue (@MetsAvenue) April 7, 2023
Edwin Díaz 🎺⚾️🙏🏻❤️ https://t.co/Fhy4PQyCtv
— Baseball For Today ⚾️ (@BaseballFor2day) April 7, 2023
Chills! So awesome to see Edwin "sugar" Diaz get introduced despite his injury.#Mets https://t.co/jDGk9vPwn5
— Jason M (@sanjaromin) April 7, 2023
Diaz waved and acknowledged the crowd, probably missing the mound but eager to get himself healthy and returning to the active roster in 2024.
Replacing his production on the mound will be a challenge for the Mets.
It’s not that they don’t have a reliever like him; it’s that the league doesn’t have an arm like his.
He was the best of the best in 2022, racking up 118 strikeouts and a 1.31 ERA.
That’s more than even some starters, and he did it in just 62 frames.
He also saved 32 games.
The Mets will need to move on without him, but are making sure to spoil him every once in a while.
They need him in the best of spirits for the long rehab.
NEXT: Edwin Diaz Was Given A Hero's Welcome For The Home Opener