PORT STREET SEA — Edwin Diaz was nearly untouchable the last time he pitched for the Mets, and I expect him to remain at or near that level when he returns from a lost season.
“I think I’ll be the same guy,” Diaz said Monday after a bullpen session during pitchers and catchers’ report day at Clover Park. “I know my body, I know how I have to attack hitters, I know how to pitch…and I know what I have to do to be successful.”
All was well in Diaz’s world when he departed last March to represent Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
He emerged as the game’s premier reliever and was just months away from the end of the season when he earned a record five-year, $102 million contract for a closer.
But on March 15, after making a save in Puerto Rico’s victory over the Dominican Republic, the right-hander was caught in a wave of celebrating bodies, crumpled to the ground and had to be carried off the field. Ta.
Diaz was diagnosed with a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee and underwent surgery, which required lengthy rehabilitation.
Diaz’s rehabilitation progressed so quickly that Mets officials considered making a cameo appearance for Diaz in September, but the idea was ultimately nixed.
Diaz said, “We were ready and felt great, but our team didn’t play good baseball, so we didn’t make the playoffs.” “So the team supported me a little bit more. It gave me a whole year to prepare for 2024, so that was good for me.”
Diaz became the toast of Citi Field in 2022 with a 1.31 ERA, 32 saves, and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched. Along the way, his entrance music, his Blasterjaxx and his Timmy Trumpet’s “Narco,” became part of his mystique.
“look, [2022 Diaz] It’s a really high bar for everyone,” President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said. “2022 was a historic year for a major league pitcher, and we expect Edwin to be a very good pitcher for us given his health, personality and determination as a pitcher. ing”
The WBC does not return until 2026, at which point Diaz, who turns 30 next month, will evaluate whether the tournament is right for him.
“It’s going to take me two more years to get back there,” Diaz said. “I’m going to ask the team first if they can let me play because I just want to know how I’m doing with the team. Otherwise, I’ve played in the WBC twice so I’ve lived that experience twice. Masu.”
Diaz doesn’t downplay the impact his injury had on the Mets’ season last year.
The team, which was expected to compete for the National League East title, was disbanded by the All-Star break and sold out at the trade deadline due in part to poor bullpen performance.
“I think we would have been a lot better last year if I had pitched,” Diaz said. “It’s been a tough season with a lot of injuries. If I can play, I think I can help them win more games.”
Most predict the Mets will be a team just above .500 this season as they evaluate internal options after a modest winter of trades and free agency.
But from Diaz’s perspective, the mission remains the same.
“I know all my teammates have the same expectations as me to make the playoffs,” Diaz said. “We will give 100 percent to the game every day.”
