Edwin Díaz is back on Puerto Rico’s roster for the World Baseball Classic, three years after a fluke knee injury at the tournament ended his 2023 season before it could begin.
The All-Star closer, who joined the Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million deal in free agency earlier this winter, was confirmed for the 2026 Classic on Monday, along with Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos.
In 2023, Díaz suffered a complete patellar tendon tear in his right knee during Puerto Rico’s celebration after it defeated the Dominican Republic to advance to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals, where it lost to Mexico. Díaz, then a member of the Mets, underwent surgery and ended up missing the entire MLB campaign.
After an uneven comeback season in 2024, Díaz was back to his old self in ’25, winning his third Reliever of the Year Award (second in the NL) with a 1.63 ERA, 28 saves and 98 strikeouts over 66 1/3 innings. At the end of the year, he opted out of his contract with New York to become a free agent and signed with Los Angeles. This will be Díaz’s third trip to the World Baseball Classic.
Ramos, meanwhile, will be making his Classic debut. The 26-year-old has topped the 20-homer mark for San Francisco in each of the past two seasons, earning an All-Star selection in 2024. He’s a career .255/.319/.418 hitter over 312 games in the Majors.
