When Edwin Díaz last stepped onto the World Baseball Classic stage, the moment turned heartbreaking in an instant. After closing out a 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic, the celebration quickly gave way to concern.
Díaz, unable to put weight on his right leg, was helped off the field and eventually wheeled away. The diagnosis was brutal: a full-thickness tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee.
Just like that, his 2023 MLB season was over before it began.
Now, nearly three years later, Díaz is ready to return to the WBC - and not just in any role. Multiple sources have confirmed that Díaz will once again serve as Puerto Rico’s closer in the upcoming 2026 tournament. It’s a full-circle moment for one of baseball’s most electric relievers, and a major boost for a Puerto Rican squad looking to make a deep run.
The road back wasn’t easy. After missing all of 2023, Díaz returned in 2024 but struggled to regain his dominant form.
Chalk it up to rust, recovery, or the natural hurdles that come with major knee surgery - whatever the reason, it wasn’t vintage Díaz. But in 2025, he flipped the script.
Díaz was lights out last season. Over 66 1/3 innings, he struck out 98 batters and posted a sparkling 1.63 ERA, notching 28 saves along the way.
That’s not just a comeback - that’s a statement. It was the kind of performance that reminded everyone why, when he’s right, Díaz is one of the most unhittable arms in the game.
His resurgence couldn’t have come at a better time. At season’s end, Díaz opted out of his contract with the Mets, hitting the open market for the first time in his career. He was, without question, the top reliever available this offseason - and the reigning champion Dodgers wasted no time locking him up.
The deal: three years, $69 million. That’s a record-setting average annual value for a reliever, and it signals just how much belief the Dodgers have in Díaz’s ability to anchor the back end of their bullpen as they chase a third straight title.
For Puerto Rico, his return to the WBC couldn’t be more significant. Díaz brings not just elite talent, but also a veteran presence and emotional edge to a team with championship aspirations. The memory of his last WBC appearance still lingers, but this time, the narrative has a chance to be rewritten - with Díaz once again taking the mound, this time on his own terms.