Cardinals allow Diaz to leave team to attend Fernandez ceremony

The St. Louis Cardinals are in the midst of a playoff race, though manager Mike Matheny had no reservations about letting Aledmys Diaz leave the club to grieve Jose Fernandez.

Diaz grew up with Fernandez in Cuba, and the Cardinals allowed their star shortstop to attend a private memorial service Sunday after the Miami Marlins right-hander died in a boating accident.

"That was the place where he needed to be today. He doesn't need to be thinking about us right now," Matheny told Mark Saxon of ESPN. "He needed to get back there and be with his family and be with his friend's family and make sure that he's all in. When he gets back here, he'll be all in."

Both Fernandez and Diaz grew up in Santa Clara, Cuba and played youth baseball together. The first time they faced each other in the majors, Diaz took his old friend deep.

"That was a lot of fun to compete against my buddy," Diaz told reporters in July. "I just tried to be aggressive with him, he's such a great pitcher."

Diaz rejoined the Cardinals midway through Monday's game.