More than halfway through the 2025 slate of spring training games, and Mets reliever Edwin Diaz finally saw some game action. But it wasn’t the outing the closer was hoping for.
Diaz allowed two runs on two hits and one walk in 0.1 innings against the Houston Astros on Thursday night. It took the closer 19 pitches (10 strikes) to get that one out before manager Carlos Mendoza pulled him to end his spring debut.
“I think I was a little excited today. That’s how I feel,” Diaz said after his outing. “I wasn’t able to stay on top of the ball, so I was side to side and going toward the third base side. That’s my takeaway. Was just missing with my fastball today.”
If you’ve been following the Mets last season, Diaz said something similar on a number of occasions when he had trouble locating his pitches, especially his fastball.
“He was off, he was off today,” Mendoza said after the 5-1 defeat.
“You could tell from the very first hitter that he was missing glove side,” the skipper said before pausing and waving his hand in the air, “missing wild, pretty much.”
Those troubles with location were the main cause of Diaz’s struggles in early 2024. After a dominant 2022, when he was the best closer in the National League, pitching to a 1.31 ERA and 0.84 WHIP, Diaz missed the entire 2023 season after a knee injury he suffered in the World Baseball Classic that spring.
Mendoza said he spoke to Diaz after his outing and said the 30-year-old “felt good physically, so no issues there.”
He then returned to the mound a year later but wound up pitching to a 3.52 ERA — his highest since 2019 — and a 106 WHIP. However, Diaz finished the season strong, pitching to a 1.93 ERA in 13 appearances in September.
When asked whether his issues on Thursday were emotional or mechanical, Diaz was confident it was the latter.
“Can be both. I know how to control my emotions. I think it was more mechanics,” he explained. “In my live BP, I was throwing the ball really good. I was really confident it would be a good outing. I did make a couple of mistakes, cutting my fastball. Just have to go out tomorrow, work the next day and when I come back, do it in a game.”
Diaz said his live batting practice before his outing went really well, and that the hitters gave him good feedback on his pitches. He was also asked about staying warm between innings, and although he threw more pitches to the bullpen catcher than he normally likes to, he won’t use it as an excuse.
His next outing is likely Sunday and the 30-year-old is ready to put his spring debut behind him.
“Today, I didn’t do my job, but that’s part of the game and Sunday, I’ll do my job.”
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