Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Updated Post – March 16, 10:33 AM

Andy Martino of SNY has reported that Edwin Díaz will undergo an MRI on his right knee on Thursday, but one source has said initial indications are that Díaz’s injury is “bad.” Martino has also reported that people briefed on the situation fear that Díaz could miss a significant period, perhaps the entire 2023 season.

Martino notes that Díaz’s medical exam will take four-to-five hours to receive the results, meaning we could get an update just before or during the Mets’ spring training game against the Nationals on Thursday.

If the results are inconclusive, then we may not get any news or update on Díaz until Friday. However, there is a fear that the injury is severe enough that it could require surgery rather than rehab.

If Díaz is out for a considerable amount of time, then David Robertson and Brooks Raley could move up the pecking order in terms of taking over save duties for the Mets. It is also worth noting that the Mets will attend a simulated game and a showcase being thrown by lefty reliever Zack Britton on Thursday. Britton could become more of an attractive option if Díaz is out for a substantial amount of time.

We’ll update once we have more news.

Original Post – March 15, 10:49 PM

Moments after Edwin Díaz pitched the final out for Puerto Rico in their Pool D win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, the Mets closer appeared to badly injury his leg during the team’s celebration.

Díaz could visibly not put any weight on his leg, and needed to be helped into the tunnel with the assistance of a wheelchair.

https://twitter.com/MrMatthewCFB/status/1636192187737145350

Díaz’s brother, Reds pitcher Alexis Díaz, was visibly moved to tears after watching his brother being helped into the dugout.

Edwin Díaz pitched a perfect ninth inning for Puerto Rico before suffering the apparent injury, helping his team knock out the Dominican Republic and advance to the WBC quarterfinals. It goes without saying, but losing Díaz for any significant period of time would be a massive blow to the Mets’ bullpen. Díaz re-signed with the team on a five-year, $102 million deal this offseason after collecting 32 saves with a 1.31 ERA a season ago.

If Díaz is unable to pitch, the Mets will likely be forced to turn to either Adam Ottavino or David Robertson to be their primary closer.