Puerto Rican Kike Hernandez laments the loss of Edwin Diaz as Puerto Rico moves closer to WBC glory

When Edwin Diaz came in to defend Puerto Rico's 5-2 lead over the Dominican Republic in the ninth inning on March 15, fans knew that they were in good hands.

Both teams were vying for the second spot in Pool D after Team Venezuela. Central in the minds of players on both teams was the 2017 World Baseball Classic, which saw Puerto Rico best the Dominican Republic by a score of 3-1 in the knockout stage.

Sound inside LoanDepot Field in Miami reached an electrifying pitch as Diaz struck out Dominican outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to win the game and advance to the next round. As his teammates swarmed him, the mood quickly took a dark turn. As the scrum of Puerto Rican players parted, the New York Mets closer lay prostrate.

"Edwin Diaz had to be helped off the field after suffering an apparent leg injury in Puerto Rico's celebration following their victory over the Dominican Republic." - SportsCenter

It was later announced that Edwin Diaz would require surgery to repair a tear in his right knee, and miss the entirety of the 2023 season. The devastating news comes as the former AL save leader penned a 5-year deal worth $102 million with the Mets last December, becoming the highest-paid closer in MLB history.

Edwin Diaz's big extension comes as part of a push by Mets owner Steve Cohen to employ the best pitching in the world on his team, no matter the cost. Examples of his free-spending attitude include the signings of former Houston Astros Cy Young winner Justin Verlander and star Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga.

As The Athletic reported, Diaz' teammates are in disbelief. One teammate, Kike Hernandez of the Boston Red Sox, spoke about how Diaz went out of his way to introduce his WBC teammates to the Miami area and had no problem taking them out for oppulent meals. He said:

"He’s just a guy that, I mean, I’m just going to put it out there, like he has a really big bank account, but his heart is way bigger than his bank account is”

Team Puerto Rico will have to rally without Edwin Diaz for the rest of the tournament. They will stay in Miami to take on Team Mexico on March 17.

Edwin Diaz's injury means more to his team than his country

Although Puerto Ricans take immense pride in the World Baseball Classic, Mets fans should be more concerned. Diaz registered 32 saves and a career-best ERA of just 1.31 last year. If they do not find a way to replace him - especially late in games - they may have problems living up to expectations this year.