Francisco Lindor on Edwin Diaz Injury: 'I Couldn't Stop Crying'
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It broke his heart.
Francisco Lindor was jumping for joy after Team Puerto Rico upset the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic - but then the worst happened.
Edwin Diaz, who just closed out the win by striking out the side, collapsed on the ground in agony during the celebration and had to be taken off the field in a wheelchair. It was later discovered that Diaz had a full-thickness tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee, which would require season-ending surgery.
That's when Lindor felt a rush of emotions overcome him in sadness for Diaz.
“It was heartbreaking,” Lindor said Monday night after his first game back with the Mets. “I never knew I loved Edwin so much until I couldn’t stop crying. 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 motion 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.”
According to Lindor, he cried on the field, in the clubhouse and back at the hotel.
While losing Diaz is a major blow for the Mets and their championship hopes, Lindor wouldn't lower expectations for his team because of their loss.
“We have to focus on what we have,” Lindor 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.”
Lindor, who returned to the Mets on Monday, says the WBC got him ready for the season. He is ready to lead the Mets, as they hope to capture the NL East and make a deep playoff run in October.
Read More:
- Mets Reliever David Robertson on Pitch Clock: ‘Get rid of it’
- Mets' Brandon Nimmo Believes He'll be Ready for Opening Day
- Mets Eyeing Zack Britton After Edwin Diaz Injury
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