Dodgers' Edwin Diaz to Play for Puerto Rico After Suffering Injury in 2023 WBC Celebration

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Edwin Díaz will represent Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

The three-time All-Star suffered a season-ending knee injury during the last WBC as he was celebrating a 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic, which assured the country of a spot in the quarterfinals.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich reported that as many as eight to 10 members of the team could be denied insurance coverage. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher José Berríos and Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa are among the stars impacted.

As a result, Puerto Rico could pull out of the WBC altogether.

"That option is on the table," Joey Sola, the team's operations manager, said. "It obviously will depend upon if we can figure out the substitute players."

Insurance coverage isn't required for a player to take part in the World Baseball Classic, but the absence of a policy is a major consideration. Three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw didn't play for the United States in 2023, reportedly because he couldn't secure insurance.

Puerto Rico is scheduled to open its WBC run on March 6 against Colombia. Assuming everything works out, Díaz is a big addition to the bullpen.

The right-hander's performance dipped a bit in 2024, his first year after the knee injury, but he returned to form in 2025. He posted a 1.63 ERA and a 2.28 FIP, striking out 98 batters across 66.1 innings.

Díaz parlayed that into a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers.