The New York Mets won’t ever know what Edwin Diaz would or would not have been throughout the playoffs, however the hope is that the All-Star nearer shall be again to the place he was roughly a yr in the past as quickly as spring coaching.
“The Mets have arrange a bullpen for Diaz at his house in Puerto Rico and despatched a TrackMan machine to observe his exercises,” Mets beat reporter Mike Puma of the New York Submit defined for a chunk printed Friday. “A coach and biomechanics coach have visited the right-hander and can proceed to test on him periodically.”
Diaz earned 2022 Trevor Hoffman Nationwide League Reliever of the Yr Award honors and signed a five-year, $102M contract with the Mets final November. The 29-year-old then suffered a surprising torn patellar tendon in his proper knee that left him needing surgical procedure when he went down whereas celebrating a Puerto Rico win over the Dominican Republic within the World Baseball Basic this previous March.
Diaz repeatedly made it recognized all through the spring and summer season he wished to pitch for the Mets earlier than the 2023 season ended. Nonetheless, former Mets common supervisor Billy Eppler and former supervisor Buck Showalter finally elected to close Diaz down as soon as it turned clear the membership had no likelihood of qualifying for the playoffs.
“Diaz might need been in place to hitch the Mets for a postseason run, however with the workforce faraway from the race, a choice was reached to attend till spring coaching earlier than he returns to sport motion,” Puma added. “An individual who speaks commonly with Diaz indicated the nearer was utterly on board with that call and was appreciative of the open communication” from each Eppler and Showalter.”
Some have speculated the 2023 Mets by no means recovered emotionally and/or psychologically after they misplaced Diaz earlier than Opening Day, however it appears the clubhouse had different points all year long. No matter occurred behind the scenes, new Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns will hope Diaz helps the workforce compete for a minimum of a playoff berth as quickly as subsequent yr.
