Edwin Diaz will not be eased back into the Mets’ bullpen hierarchy upon returning Thursday from the injured list.
The former All-Star closer will regain that vital role, despite not pitching up to the standard he set in 2022 this season after missing all of last year following knee surgery.
“Yes, right into it. For us to make a run at this, we’re gonna need Diaz to be Edwin Diaz,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before Wednesday’s game against the Marlins. “We’ve been trying to piece it together for the past month or so, but he feels good, physically, mentally.
“So I’m comfortable with him going back to the closer’s role.”
The 30-year-old Diaz started the season strongly with four consecutive saves and a 0.93 ERA over his first 10 appearances despite missing all of 2023 after sustaining a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during the preseason World Baseball Classic.
But the Puerto Rico native suffered four blown saves in five opportunities with a 9.58 ERA over his next 11 appearances. Diaz relinquished his claim on the closer role — with Mendoza turning to a committee setup — before landing on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement in late May.
The two-time All-Star pitched in two minor league rehab games last week with Single-A Brooklyn — reaching 97 mph with his fastball.
“Some of the things he was working with Hef, they went back and looked at a lot of film,” Mendoza said, referring to pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. “His outings in the minor leagues, the shape of the slider, the fastball … there were little details there. But the biggest thing is that he’s feeling really good — not only physically, but mentally.
“Just having conversations with him, the conviction, you can see it in his face, he’s not the same guy when he was struggling. You could tell he was feeling it a little bit, but the past couple of days and watching him pitch, even though he was facing minor league hitters, you could tell he’s in a good spot and ready to go.”
Mendoza added he also has noticed the return of Diaz’s confidence, though it remains to be seen if that will translate back into his 2022 form when he dominated with a 1.31 ERA with 32 saves and 118 strikeouts in 61 appearances.
Diaz also struggled mightily in his first season with the team with a 5.59 ERA in 2019 before rebounding with a strong performance in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
“You gotta show them you have the confidence, and then you gotta give them the ball,” Mendoza said. “You can’t hide them. The best way is ‘go get the last three outs.’ He’s done it before. He’s struggled before, he’s been there and got through it before. He’s been in this league for a long time. And it’s just a matter of us continuing to have that confidence in the player.
“Because we’ve seen it. He’s had some years that weren’t easy for him. In ‘22, it obviously was an unbelievable year, but you can’t forget the fact that he didn’t pitch at all last year. The expectations to be the Edwin Diaz of 2022, especially when you miss the whole year, and there’s a lot of new rules and different things he’s got to deal with, it’s hard. But I’m pretty confident that he’s in a good spot and he’ll get going here.”