Edwin Díaz injured after closing out Puerto Rico's big win

MIAMI - Puerto Rico's joy after defeating the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night was short-lived after closer Edwin Díaz was injured in the postgame celebration.

After striking out Teoscar Hernández to end the 5-2 victory, the Mets closer walked off the mound toward home plate, clapping. His countrymen streamed out from the dugout, embracing him and hopping up and down.

Moments later, the group separated and waved toward the dugout for assistance as Díaz sat on the ground, his right leg extended. The celebration stopped, and players from both teams looked on with concern.

Eventually, Díaz was helped off the field and put into a wheelchair, then rolled down a concourse beneath the stands. His brother, Reds relief pitcher Alexis, could be seen crying, his arm around one of his teammates.

“Quiet,” said Puerto Rico center fielder Kiké Hernández, when asked what the mood was like in the clubhouse. “I mean, it comes to a certain point that it gets bigger than the game and something very unfortunate happened. As excited as we were about the game and all that, it’s one of our brothers and some of us grew together and all that. It’s real easy to set aside the game and worry about us as humans. So it definitely doesn’t feel like we just beat the Dominican Republic to advance.”

It was a tough scene at loanDepot park after the game. Puerto Rico manager Yadier Molina walked out of a family room with Díaz’s family, who were visibly shaken up by the right-hander’s injury. His brother Alexis continued to cry as he paced around the tunnels in the stadium.

“It was really tough to see that,” said Dominican Republic left fielder Juan Soto. “He’s a tremendous pitcher, a tremendous person. You just feel really uncomfortable and helpless in a situation like that.”

Díaz was being checked on site and it’s unclear when the right-hander left the stadium. The Mets, however, announced it as a right-knee injury and said he will undergo tests on Thursday. That will ultimately provide more clarity on what was an unfortunate injury to one of the game’s best closers.

“Everything is in God’s hands,” Molina said. “If something is going to happen, it’s going to happen. Celebrations have existed ever since I’ve been born. I just hope that Edwin is going to be okay, that his family is okay and we’re praying for him, for his family.”