Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Edwin Díaz will reportedly pitch for Team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the team announced Monday.

This will be Díaz’s third time participating in the WBC with Team Puerto Rico.

This is great news for Team Puerto Rico after recent frustrations with insurance not covering MLB players. Dodgers veteran Miguel Rojas, who was planning to represent Team Venezuela, was one of multiple Latin American players to be denied insurance for the WBC.

In addition to Rojas, Puerto Rican players Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Emilio Pagán, José Berríos, Victor Caratini and Alexis Díaz were denied coverage, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo.

Rojas expressed his frustration about getting denied insurance during DodgerFest 2026 on Saturday. He pointed out that it seems only players from Latin American teams are experiencing issues getting insurance for the tournament.

“My only question is: Why is it just with our countries [in Latin America], like Venezuela, Puerto Rico, a couple Dominican players?” Rojas said, per ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. “I don’t see that happening with the United States or happening with Japan. And I’m not trying to attack anybody, or attack what’s going on … but at the end of the day, it feels like it’s just happening with the players that want to represent their country from Latin America. So, there’s a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in control, with someone from MLB.”

Team Puerto Rico threatened to withdraw for the tournament entirely after eight of its 10 players were denied coverage on Saturday.

Díaz Missed The Entire 2023 Season With A Knee Injury He Sustained During the WBC

One of the biggest concerns with players participating in the WBC is the possibility of sustaining an injury right before the new MLB season begins. The Dodgers have five returning players competing in the tournament this season: Díaz, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Will Smith and Hyeseong Kim.

Díaz tore his patellar tendon after clinching a trip to the 2023 WBC quarterfinals. He had to undergo surgery and missed the entire 2023 season with the New York Mets.

The three-time league Reliever of the Year signed a three-year, $69 million free-agent contract with the Dodgers in December. Los Angeles is hopeful Díaz can be a reliable closer next season as the Dodgers look to win a third straight World Series championship in 2026.

The Dodgers will need Díaz, along with its other four returning players, to stay healthy throughout the entire tournament.

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Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star closer Edwin Diaz will play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, per Primera Hora.

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Diaz’s commitment to the tournament comes amid controversy among Puerto Rico and other Latin American counties in regards to the WBC, with leaders claiming the insurance decisions are unfair.

“In some ways, I think it’s a little bit unfair,” Joey Sola, Team Puerto Rico’s operations manager, said. “Especially when you are three days from submitting your final roster. Who in the world would think Lindor wasn’t on the (eligible) list? You wait until the last weekend to get an answer on Lindor? C’mon.

“It took us by surprise. I know the WBC isn’t in those decisions. It’s the insurance companies. But you have guys on other teams, they have an injury history and then I got guys on my roster who will be playing at the Double-A level with no (major-league) guarantee, no MLB invitation (to spring training), and they get flagged. And guys on other teams who can play in the WBC are earning $30 million per year. It’s kind of tough to understand it.”

2026 will be Diaz’s third WBC, having played in both 2017 and 2023. The All-Star tore his right patellar tendon in the 2023 tournament while celebrating Puerto Rico’s victory over the Dominican Republic. He went on to miss the entirety of the 2023 MLB season.

Will Edwin Diaz Be Back for the Regular Season?

The World Baseball Classic runs from March 5-17, so no matter how Team Puerto Rico performs, Diaz should be back in time for the beginning of the Dodgers’ regular season.

The All-Star, who signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason, will be a key part of the roster for the upcoming year, and will look to stay healthy throughout the tournament so he can help is new team come April.

Diaz is entering his age-32 season and is coming off one of his best years in MLB in 2025. The right-hander featured in 62 games last season and pitched 66.1 innings, posting a 1.63 ERA while striking out 98 batters throughout the campaign.

Which Other Dodgers are Playing in the WBC?

Other than Diaz, five Dodgers are currently slated to play in the WBC. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani headline a stacked Team Japan roster heading into the tournament as they look for their second consecutive title.

Will Smith will play catcher for Team USA in the tournament and will pair up with a familiar face in Clayton Kershaw, who shockingly announced his participation after retiring at the end of the 2025 MLB season.

The final player who has declared for the WBC is Hyeseong Kim, who will play for Team Korea.

More Dodgers can still feature in the upcoming tournament, though, as teams will announce their full rosters Thursday at 4:00 p.m. PT.