Los Angeles Dodgers star closer Edwin Diaz has some business to take care of in the World Baseball Classic before Opening Day.
Los Angeles Dodgers star closer Edwin Diaz has some business to take care of before Opening Day.
Diaz is suiting up for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, and not only is he trying to represent his homeland, he’s doing so after coming back from a huge injury.
In 2023, celebrating a game-ending strikeout of now-teammate Teoscar Hernandez, he ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee, ending his season.
Three years later, he’s back for another WBC, and Diaz told The Athletic‘s Katie Woo that he had to represent his homeland again, especially because Puerto Rico is hosting WBC games, allowing him to pitch in Puerto Rico as a pro for the first time ever.
“As soon as I saw (Puerto Rico would be hosting), I knew my goal was to play in the WBC,” Díaz said.
He’s aware that what happened in 2023 was the type of situation that gives MLB teams nightmares, but that won’t stop him.
“I have only one response for that,” Díaz said. “I didn’t get hurt pitching. It was after the game. That could have happened to me anywhere. If I got hurt pitching, it’s different. But I was just trying to celebrate.”
Dodger Kike Hernandez, who’s now an MLB teammate with Diaz but who also played for the Team Puerto Rico squad in 2023, said he would’ve understood if Diaz hadn’t wanted to participate in the WBC this year.
That said, he added that he “wasn’t surprised, because it was a freak injury, that he was willing to do it all over again.”
“He’s risking a lot by playing in the tournament, especially given what happened in the previous one,” Hernandez said. “But as a fellow Puerto Rican, those games just mean so much to us, being able to wear that uniform.”
Multiple Dodgers to Play in WBC
Diaz isn’t alone in playing in the WBC, with stars like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto competing for Japan and catcher Will Smith and former Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw playing for the U.S.
The first game is Wednesday night, and some of the matchups will be available even without a cable subscription. Click here to see which games will be available.
Category: General Sports
