Lindor still feeling effects of Diaz's WBC injury: 'Broke my heart'

Even following his return to the New York Mets on Monday after representing Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic, Francisco Lindor is still feeling the effects of All-Star closer Edwin Diaz's injury.

"It was heartbreaking," Lindor said, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

"I never knew I loved Edwin so much until I couldn't stop crying. And that's when I realized I loved Edwin a lot. It's one of those moments that you wish you could go back and kind of do it in slow motion, that way no one goes through that. It broke my heart. ... It was a very, very sad clubhouse."

Diaz suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during a postgame celebration after Puerto Rico upset the Dominican Republic. The injury is expected to keep him out of action for at least eight months after he underwent surgery Thursday.

Diaz's loss is a huge blow to a Mets club with World Series aspirations. The 28-year-old struck out 17.1 hitters per nine innings while recording a 1.31 ERA, 0.90 FIP, and 32 saves last season.

However, Lindor believes the Mets have what it takes to overcome Diaz's injury and win the organization's first World Series title since 1986.

"We have to focus on what we have," the shortstop said.

"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. But we're all professional. We all have a job to do. We gotta go out there and take care of business."

David Robertson and Adam Ottavino are candidates to handle the ninth inning for the Mets without Diaz.