The World Baseball Classic is an event that brings the world together and is one that baseball fans adore. However, it’s become a polarizing one at that. Especially in the aftermath of Edwin Díaz’s unfortunate injury. The New York Mets superstar closer fully tore his patellar tendon moments after celebrating Puerto Rico’s WBC win over the Dominican Republic, advancing to the Classic’s quarterfinals in the process.
Now, many are criticizing the WBC. They’ve made the argument about whether or not it’s worth the risk of MLB stars playing. Díaz will likely miss the entire 2023 season after undergoing surgery Thursday. Several stars of the game have already weighed in. None have offered quite the brutal assessment that Chicago White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn has though.
“Unfortunately, you don’t want to see that,” Lynn said via ESPN’s Marly Rivera. “Edwin’s an amazing player and it’s a big loss for the Mets. But, when you look at what this is all about, I don’t think [Diaz] would tell you that he regrets being a part of this. We like to compete. We like to compete for our countries…You never want to get hurt. People get hurt in spring training games every day right now, and no one says we shouldn’t have spring training.
“That’s the unfortunate part of the game — people will get hurt — but the beauty of the game is to see the fans, see the passion that the players have this time of year, especially in these events. That’s why you play the games. Telling guys not to play the game they love for the country they love is tough because you can get hurt walking down the street…”
https://twitter.com/MarlyRiveraESPN/status/1636755565694300163?s=20
Lynn is a two-time MLB All-Star in both leagues. He finished 2022 with a 3.99 ERA in 121 2/3 innings pitched, striking out 124 batters in 21 starts. He’s scheduled to take the ball for the United States on Friday against Venezuela.
