Mets' Edwin Diaz open to World Baseball Classic return despite past injury
Diaz, 31, injured himself while celebrating team Puerto Rico's win over the Dominican Republic. He tore his patellar tendon in his right knee and missed the entire season.
"I didn't get hurt pitching," Díaz said via the New York Post last week. "That's something that can happen at my house or wherever. If I was pitching, maybe I would be a little bit scared (to return)."
Diaz didn't fully commit to playing for Puerto Rico but said he is open to it.
"As of now, I would play if I had the chance to play. I would play to represent my country," Diaz said.
The three-time All-Star said if he got hurt pitching, he might view playing in the World Baseball Classic differently.
"But I just want to go there and represent my country and have fun." Diaz said.
Diaz's Mets teammate, star shortstop Francisco Lindor, also played for team Puerto Rico. Diaz said that if he gets the chance to play for Puerto Rico, he would want to play with Lindor again.
Diaz has been lights-out for the Mets this season and made the National League All-Star team. In 40 games this season, Diaz had a 1.55 ERA with a 5-0 record and 21 saves.
Diaz and the Mets (59-44) start a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants (54-49) on Friday at 10:15 p.m. ET.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jaxson Dart is QB3 on Giants' first depth chart
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart has work to go to become the starter. Supposedly. The 25th pick in the 2025 draft lands at third on the team's initial depth chart of 2025, behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Rounding out the quarterback room is Tommy DeVito, at fourth string. Per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, the actual practices have had Dart taking reps after Wilson and before Winston. The move could be an effort to show that Dart will earn his spot by overcoming obstacles, eventually moving past Winston before leapfrogging Wilson. Alternatively (or perhaps additionally), the positioning could be aimed at showcasing Winston, who could be the odd man out when it's time to trim the depth chart from four to three. Before releasing Winston, it would make sense to try to trade him. DeVito is destined to be cut and, if he clears waivers, to sign with the practice squad. The bigger question is whether the Giants keep Winston on the 53-man roster, to go along with Wilson and Dart. The biggest question is when will Dart play? In 2004, Kurt Warner was benched despite a 5-4 record because the Giants were ready to flip the switch to Eli Manning.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs expected to miss rest of training camp with knee injury: Report
Green Bay Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs is expected to miss the rest of training camp after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear, ESPN reported Tuesday. He could return in time for the Packers' regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7, per ESPN. "I'm not going to put a timetable on it," head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday of Hobbs' knee injury. "But unfortunately he had to have something cleaned up. We're hoping to get him back here sooner than later." Hobbs, 26, was one of the Packers' biggest free agent acquisitions this offseason. They signed him to a four-year, $48 million deal in March. He spent his first four seasons in the league with the Las Vegas Raiders, who took him in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. Hobbs has played at least 550 defensive snaps in each of his four NFL seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. He's mostly played inside corner, with 304 of his 554 defensive snaps last season taking place in the slot, per PFF. But the Packers see him as a starting outside corner opposite of Keisean Nixon. In Hobbs' absence, third-year defensive back Carrington Valentine and veteran Corey Ballentine — who played in 37 games for the Packers between 2022-24 — are options for Green Bay at the position. The team re-signed Ballentine on Monday. This isn't the first time Hobbs has been sidelined during his NFL career. He's been out for a combined 16 games over the past three seasons because of ankle and hand injuries and illness. Unfortunately for the Packers, they're used to injuries foiling their plans at cornerback. Back in June, Green Bay moved on from Jaire Alexander after seven seasons. Although Alexander earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods in 2020 and 2022, he's struggled to stay on the field. In each of the past two seasons, Alexander has played in just seven games. He wound up reuniting with his Louisville teammate, quarterback Lamar Jackson, in Baltimore. There's still a chance Hobbs plays a full slate of games for the Packers this season. But before his first game action in Green Bay, he's already recovering from a procedure.
Associated Press
19 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Brewers' successful promotion could result in more alumni home-run derby events
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Maybe the Home Run Derby doesn't have to be limited to All-Star weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers had Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and several other former players competing in an alumni home run derby that followed a game with the Miami Marlins last month. The promotion helped draw a sellout crowd of 41,944 fans, with nearly all of them sticking around to watch the postgame event. Other clubs noticed, too. 'I thought it was a great idea and applaud them,' Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said. 'I believe all of us will be considering something similar.' Brewers manager Pat Murphy is among those already has been conjuring up ways to expand on this idea. 'I think it just opens the door,' Murphy said. 'Can you imagine the Brewers versus the Cubs home run derby — their three legends versus legends of ours. You know what I mean? Can you imagine that happening around the league?' The Brewers' home run derby occurred 11 days after Seattle's Cal Raleigh won Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby and 10 days after the All-Star Game was decided on a swing-off. With the game tied 6-6 after nine innings, three batters from each league took three swings and Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber homered three times to give the NL a 4-3 victory. Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said a half-dozen MLB teams reached out after their alumni home run derby to get information on how well it had worked. Milwaukee's promotion was part of a 25th-anniversary celebration of American Family Field. Keon Broxton, who played for the Brewers from 2016-18, won the event and recreated Fielder's most famous home-run celebration by standing tall at home while the teammates surrounding him fell back like a collection of bowling pins. 'It was awesome,' Broxton said afterward. Milwaukee wasn't the first team to do this kind of promotion. The Houston Astros staged their own alumni home run derby events in 2018 and 2019. The Atlanta Braves had an alumni softball home run derby last year. The format represents a different way to welcome back former players rather than having the traditional Old Timers' Day games from yesteryear. The New York Yankees are holding their first Old Timers' Day game since 2019 on Aug. 9, and the New York Mets are having an alumni game Sept. 13. But the Brewers' event last weekend generated plenty of national attention, particularly when highlights aired showing how the stands stayed packed throughout the event. 'The guys that were all here, we all said we'd be back for anything like that, whether it's something like what Murph suggested or even keeping it in house and playing a couple-inning game ... maybe guys from 2005-10 against guys from 2010-15,' said Casey McGehee, who played for the Brewers from 2009-11 and participated in the home run derby. 'I think there's a lot of opportunity for some really cool stuff to come from it.' Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said he didn't get a chance to watch the alumni derby that followed his team's game in Milwaukee, but he liked Murphy's idea about branching it out. 'A big part of the beauty of our sport is how you remember those who played before, the history of our game and had success for your organization or those who made impacts throughout the league,' McCullough said. 'So anytime we get a chance to celebrate those who did meaningful things, I'm all for it.' The trick in putting together an alumni home-run derby is finding the right participants. They must be old enough to have finished playing but remain young enough to still manage to hit batting-practice pitches out of a major league stadium. The Brewers didn't put up makeshift fences in the outfield for this event to make home runs easier, and the former players' swings weren't leaving the ballpark as often as when they were in the big leagues. McGehee believes future home run derby promotions could feature more power than what the ex-Brewers showcased last weekend. McGehee said he tried working on his swing before last week's event, but family obligations got in the way. If he gets another invitation, McGehee expects to be more prepared. 'I think knowing what we know now, the product would probably even get better because we saw how cool that was,' McGehee said. 'I think people would be carving out pretty significant parts of their days to get themselves ready to roll.' ___ AP Baseball Writer David Brandt and AP freelance writer Andrew Wagner contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB:
