Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has revealed his optimism for the new, upcoming MLB season despite New York losing its relief pitcher Edwin Diaz for the next eight months, due to an injury sustained in the World Baseball Classic.
The 29-year-old Puerto Rican saw his international teammate go to ground in agony while wildly celebrating the team’s 5-2 win against WBC-favorite Dominican Republic last week.
Postgame, it was revealed that the right-hander, who had to be taken off the field in a wheelchair, suffered a patellar tendon injury and would undergo surgery.
In the heat of the moment, several of Diaz’s teammates, including Lindor and Reds pitcher Alexis Diaz, were seen either crying or showing signs of emotional distress as they observed their teammate’s reaction after he quickly reached for his right leg.
Seconds before the injury, Diaz had been joyfully jumping around on the mound after the epic win over their Dominican rivals.
‘It was heartbreaking,’ Lindor told The New York Post on Monday, referring to Diaz’s freak injury in his first game back with the Mets. ‘I never knew I loved Edwin so much until I couldn’t stop crying.
Francisco Lindor said he cried after observing Mets & Puerto Rico teammate Edwin Diaz’s freak injury at the WBC last week
Diaz suffered a patellar tendon injury while celebrating Puerto Rico’s win over the DR, 5-2
Diaz, a relief pitcher for the Mets, has been ruled out of action for eight months, missing most of the upcoming MLB season
‘And that’s when I realized I loved Edwin a lot. It’s one of those moments that you wish you could go back and kind of do it in slow that way no one goes through that.
‘It broke my heart. It did not feel good. Edwin kind of calmed the team a little bit. He talked to us after the game. It was a very, very sad clubhouse.’
Lindor admitted that he cried a good chunk, first on the field, then at the clubhouse before getting emotional back at the team’s hotel.
‘We all care for each other and no one wants to get hurt,’ Lindor added, pointing out the close bonds players form in a bullpen. ‘But we all love our countries and want to represent our countries. […] Every time I have the opportunity to represent Puerto Rico and have Puerto Rico across my chest, I will give everything I’ve got. It’s not just representing Puerto Rico on its own. I represent Puerto Rico right now.’
‘And when I was on the field I was representing the Mets too. God gave me a talent and ability to play the game. And I’m super proud to be a New York Met. But I’m also super proud to be a Puerto Rican. Wherever I go I tell my mom, even the moon, I would be Puerto Rican.’
‘That is how proud I am of my roots. It’s who I am. It is a blessing and an honor and a privilege to be able to wear the country [uniform] where we are from.’
When asked to pick between winning a World Series with the Mets or a WBC title for Puerto Rico, Lindor said: ‘I’m not going to answer that question. It’s just not fair.’
‘It’s not a fair question because I want to win two, three, four World Series and two, three, four WBCs. I’ve lost both and it is not a good feeling. I can win both in one year. Why not? The WBC is not the case this year. Hopefully, I can conquer one of those.’
Undeniably, the Mets’ chances of bringing a title home for the first time since 1986 have been slimmed due to Diaz’s long-term absence, though Lindor refuses to throw the towel ahead of the start of the new MLB season on March 30.
Lindor, 29, has returned to Spring Training with the Mets following the team’s loss to Mexico
The Mets shortstop is adamant that this season will prove to be a good one for the franchise
‘We have to focus on what we have,’ the four-time All-Star said. ‘We have a really good team. A lot of guys are resilient. Are we going to miss Edwin? One-hundred percent we are. He’s a huge part of our team. I think he’s the best closer in the game. But we’re all professional. We all have a job to do. We gotta go out there and take care of business.’
Considered by many as the Mets’ most complete player since his 2021 arrival at Citi Field, Lindor knows he’ll have to be more productive than ever without Diaz on the mound this season.
In his return, the shortstop went 1-for-3 in a 3-2 loss to Washington. Postgame, Mets manager Buck Showalter said Lindor was ‘ready to go’, appearing to not be overly concerned about managing his star, amid fears that MLB players at the WBC will suffer from burnout before the new season starts in nine days time.
Lindor, however, said that the WBC made him physically ready for the Mets’ opener against the Miami Marlins on March 30 and that playing with All-Star calibre players at the international tournament provided him with knowledge that is ‘unmatched.’
‘To me we have an opportunity to represent our countries and learn from our peers,’ Lindor said. ‘It’s amazing.’