On Wednesday night, what began as a celebratory moment quickly turned sour for Team Puerto Rico when New York Mets All-Star closer Edwin Diaz collapsed with an apparent leg injury.
The veteran closer was taken off the field on a wheelchair and is now expected to miss the entire 2023 season after his knee surgery.
It’s a big blow for the Mets, but also for Team Puerto Rico.
They pulled off an upset over the Dominican Republic and will now match up with Mexico, but they’ll do so without Diaz.
Puerto Rico’s manager and longtime St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina commented on the injury to his star closer, stressing that injuries are simply a part of the game and that his team will have to work around it.
Puerto Rico manager Yadier Molina on Edwin Diaz injury: ‘Injuries are going to happen. You could be in your home and you could get hurt doing whatever you're doing. It's part of baseball, injuries. This tournament for us it means a lot, you know, to play for your country.’
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 16, 2023
Against a red-hot Team Mexico, that is easier said than done.
But Molina himself has experience playing for teams who were dealt significant blows thanks to injuries.
In 2011, when the Cardinals last won the World Series, Molina was the starting catcher.
That year, the Cards had to make their run without Adam Wainwright, who missed the season due to Tommy John surgery.
So naturally, Molina knows a thing or two about playing a couple men down.
Ultimately, Puerto Rico will have to do just that and be without their star closer.
The Mets will ultimately need to do the same thing once the regular season starts.
It will be no easy task, however.
NEXT: Edwin Diaz Updates Mets Fans On His Situation
