There is a pitcher who suffered a ridiculous injury that will never make him laugh at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) last March. Because he wasn’t injured while pitching.
That’s New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz. Diaz, who participated in the WBC as Puerto Rico’s representative, took the mound as a finisher in the match against the Dominican Republic, which was considered the strongest in Group D on March 16 (Korean time), and made a save to secure a 5-2 victory. After striking out Kettel Marte, Jean Segura, and Te Oscar Hernandez on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, Diaz injured his right knee while jumping with his teammates on the ground.
It’s hard to imagine how happy he was to go so far as to tear the patellar tendon in his knee.
He underwent surgery the next day, and his wife announced the surgery on social media by posting a picture of Diaz posing in a hospital bed.
As for the Mets, the injustice must have been indescribable since they signed a new free agent contract with Diaz for five years and $102 million just before that. I couldn’t blame the player because I was injured while playing baseball, not everyday life. At the time, it was said that rehabilitation would take 6-8 months, so it was practically the same as ending the season.
Edwin Diaz roars after defeating the Dominican Republic at the WBC in March. AP Yonhap News
By the way, Diaz practiced pitching outdoors for the first time after knee surgery.
Diaz said in an interview with the Associated Press on the 29th, “My goal was to be ready to return within six months. I am training hard towards that goal.” He is looking forward to returning in September. He sat down the catcher at Citi Field, the home stadium of the Mets, and pitched in the bullpen the day before. He tested his speed, and he says he got in the low to mid 90s.
Diaz said, “It’s okay if you have that speed. The important thing is how well your knee has recovered and how healthy it is. I think it’s okay and healthy now. I started throwing the ball again.” Confidence in coming back this season oozes out. However, it doesn’t seem like the club is in a position to push him too hard. As of the 29th, the Mets are at the bottom of the NL Eastern Division with 60 wins and 72 losses, and their advance into the postseason is virtually frustrated.
Manager Buck Showalter welcomed Diaz’ return to pitching, saying, “We’re waiting for medical signals. So we can make a decision, but not right now. But the fact that he’s considering returning is a positive sign.”
Diaz posted 32 saves and a 1.31 ERA last year. He has reigned as a top-tier closer since his 2016 debut, including 57 saves in 2018 while with the Seattle Mariners. He is said to be one of the best finishers in existence.
His trademark is his fastball and high-speed slider, which he emits from his solid physique of 1m90 and 93kg. In 2022, the fastball speed recorded a maximum of 102.8 miles and an average of 99.1 miles, and the slider also boasted a high speed with a maximum of 94.4 miles and an average of 90.8 miles. He is the best in history for his strikeout ability. He struck out 118 batters in 62 innings last year for a 9-inning average (K/9) of 17.129. Diaz’s career K/9 is 14.807. When Aroldis Chapman of the Texas Rangers made 36 saves for the Cincinnati Reds in 2014, when he was at his peak, he struck out 106 in 54 innings, averaging 17.667 in 9 innings.
It’s unclear if he’ll be in formidable form after returning this year or next year, but the WBC could be a big turning point in his career.
It is news that San Diego Padres Darvish Yu has been placed on the injured list (IL) with an elbow injury. It is the first time since early October last year that Darvish has taken care of the IL. Since his major league debut in 2012, he has been on the IL a total of 12 times. In 2014, he underwent Tommy John surgery and took a year off.메이저놀이터
Nevertheless, he has been relatively healthy this season and digested the season. It’s like a last-minute brake, but his first season after signing a six-year, $108 million extension in February has not been smooth. He was guaranteed active duty until the age of 42.
Not long ago, another Japanese pitcher, Shohei Ohtani, was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right elbow. Ohtani decided not to go on the mound anymore this year and only play as a hitter. Whether or not he will have surgery has yet to be determined, but he may be undergoing the same surgery for the first time in five years since October 2018.
Darvish and Ohtani coincidentally were the main players in the WBC championship in March. Ohtani threw 9⅔ innings in 3 games as a pitcher, and Darvish threw 6 innings in 3 games. In particular, Ohtani pitched in the ninth inning of the final match against the United States, threw a fastball with a maximum speed of 101.9 mph, and made a save by striking out Mike Trout.
It may not be because of the WBC that Darvish and Ohtani suffered the same elbow injury at the same time, but it is very likely that it became a burden at the end of the season. This is because there are not one or two examples of ruining the season because of the WBC held before the season.
Ohtani is currently running with all his might as a hitter. This is because he has to sign a free agent contract after the season, and there are concerns that his elbow condition may worsen.