New York Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor isn’t changing his tune regarding the World Baseball Classic following the injury to closer Edwin Diaz.
“Every time I have the opportunity to represent Puerto Rico and have Puerto Rico across my chest, I will give everything I’ve got,” Lindor said Monday evening, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. “It’s not just representing Puerto Rico on its own. I represent Puerto Rico right now. And when I was on the field I was representing the Mets too. God gave me a talent and ability to play the game. And I’m super proud to be a New York Met. But I’m also super proud to be a Puerto Rican. Wherever I go I tell my mom, even the moon, I would be Puerto Rican. That is how proud I am of my roots. It’s who I am. It is a blessing and an honor and a privilege to be able to wear the country [uniform] where we are from.”
Lindor, Diaz and other Puerto Rico teammates were celebrating last Wednesday’s win over the Dominican Republic in the WBC when the right-hander fell to the ground with what immediately appeared to be a serious issue. It was learned Thursday that Diaz needed surgery to repair a complete patellar tendon tear in his right knee. While Will Sammon of The Athletic reported Friday that “there is some optimism” Diaz could return to the mound late during the upcoming MLB season, it’s widely thought he won’t pitch for the Mets again until 2024.
Lindor made it clear last week that “it is the dream of every Puerto Rican ballplayer to wear Puerto Rico’s colors and to represent our country.” He was asked Monday if he’d prefer to win a World Series or a WBC championship while playing for Puerto Rico. Lindor was part of the then-Cleveland Indians when they lost the 2016 Fall Classic to the Chicago Cubs.
“I’m not going to answer that question,” Lindor responded. “It’s just not fair. It’s not a fair question because I want to win two, three, four World Series and two, three, four WBCs. I’ve lost both and it is not a good feeling.”
Lindor admitted he couldn’t “stop crying” in the minutes and hours following Diaz’s injury. One wonders if the four-time All-Star selection shed tears for what Diaz, Puerto Rico and the Mets all lost that fateful night.
“We have to focus on what we have,” Lindor said about the 2023 World Series hopefuls. “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.”
