In the aftermath of a freak injury in the World Baseball Classic, Mets pitcher Edwin Díaz was feared to be lost for the entire 2023 season.
However, the New York closer is reportedly taking aim at beating that timetable.
“The Mets may have increased Díaz’s odds, however slightly, of returning to the mound in time for a potential World Series run,” according to a Friday report from The Athletic's Will Sammon.
According to the report, an optimistic Díaz has been “trying to convince people that he’ll be back this season” after undergoing surgery Thursday. It remains unlikely that he is able to do so, however, according to Sammon’s report.
The report cites quick action from two key Mets medical figures—physician Dr. James Carr and medical director Dr. David Altchek—in attending to Díaz’s injured knee. Both were in Miami when he suffered the injury, and the location of a Hospital of Special Surgery in the area ensured “the Mets didn’t need to fly Díaz anywhere for a second opinion.”
Díaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee Wednesday celebrating Puerto Rico’s 5–2 victory over the Dominican Republic in pool play, with Mets general manager Billy Eppier confirming the injury Thursday.
In 2022, Díaz ranked among baseball's most effective relief pitchers, saving 32 games with a 1.31 ERA. He finished ninth in the NL Cy Young voting.
