The New York Mets announced that their struggling closer, Edwin Díaz, is heading to the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement. This news dropped just 15 minutes before their series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, adding to the team's challenges.
In another blow, moments after the Díaz news, slugger Pete Alonso exited in the first inning after being hit on the right hand by a 93 mph fastball from James Paxton. Alonso is set to undergo imaging. Brett Baty ran for Alonso and stayed in the game at third base, while Mark Vientos moved from third base to Alonso’s spot at first.
After missing last season because of a knee injury, Díaz has been struggling with a 1-1 record, a 5.40 ERA, and five saves in 20 appearances. He’s blown three consecutive save chances and four out of his last five. Notably, this streak doesn't include a meltdown in Miami on May 18, where he lost a four-run lead in the ninth inning but wasn't charged with a blown save. Despite all this, Díaz mentioned on May 18 that he felt physically fine, attributing his struggles to overthinking rather than physical issues.
Here are some key points about Díaz's recent performances:
- New York didn’t use Díaz for four games before bringing him in during the seventh inning against San Francisco. He struck out two in a scoreless inning but blew a save the next day.
- Díaz didn't pitch when the Mets were swept by the Dodgers in a doubleheader. The Mets took a one-run lead into the ninth inning of the opener, but manager Carlos Mendoza opted for Adam Ottavino, who blew the lead, resulting in a 5-2 loss in 10 innings.
The Mets have had a rough go, blowing 10 of 22 save opportunities this season and losing five games this month after leading into the ninth inning. They’ve dropped nine of their last 11 games and 14 of their last 18, sitting in fourth place with a 22-32 record as of Wednesday.
Edwin Díaz was a two-time All-Star and one of baseball’s most dominant closers in 2022, striking out 118 batters in 62 innings while saving 32 games with a 1.31 ERA. He re-signed with the Mets on a five-year, $102 million contract but tore his patellar tendon during a celebration at the World Baseball Classic in March 2023, causing him to miss the entire season.
To fill Díaz’s roster spot, left-handed reliever Josh Walker was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. Earlier in the day, the Mets had said Walker was being optioned to Syracuse after a doubleheader to make room for lefty David Peterson, who came off the 60-day IL to start.
Login