New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz will undergo surgery on Thursday after suffering a tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee, the team announced.
The timeline for the injury is around eight months, with some athletes recovering in six months, according to the Mets.
The injury occurred during Team Puerto Rico’s celebration in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday.
After Puerto Rico clinched a spot in the WBC quarterfinals after beating the Dominican Republic, the team celebrated near the mound, which is when Diaz went down.
He was carried into foul territory, placed into a wheelchair and rolled into the clubhouse.
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It’s a devastating blow for the Mets, as Diaz was one of the best closers in baseball last year, putting up historic numbers. He pitched to a 1.31 ERA last season, easily the lowest of his career, striking out 17.1 batters per nine innings.
He finished in ninth place in the NL Cy Young Award vote.
“Edwin Diaz is a great human being and a fierce competitor,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said on Twitter. “All of us at the Mets are shaken but determined to sustain our quest for a great season. We wish Edwin a speedy recovery.”
The Mets signed Diaz to a historic deal in November, inking him to the richest contract for a reliever in MLB history at five years, $102 million.
“Edwin has every attribute we look for in a closer,” Mets general manager Billy Eppler said after the signing. “He’s a tremendous competitor, has a burning desire to be the best and possesses the stuff to compete with any hitter in the league. We are thrilled he’ll be anchoring our bullpen moving forward.”
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report
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