MIAMI — Edwin Diaz’s recent save didn’t ring any alarm bells.
The All-Star closer allowed a run in the ninth inning on Thursday, tying the game the Mets ultimately won in overtime against the Phillies, but Diaz, who has made three saves in his past four opportunities, The slump in the early part of the season continued. .
Diaz, who had the best season ever for a closer and earned a five-year contract worth $102 million, wasn’t the one to shake up baseball in 2022.
Diaz missed last season rehabbing from surgery for a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.
Diaz has pitched in 17 games this season, posting a 3.57 ERA and zero bWAR.
“There’s nothing wrong with him,” pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said Friday night before the Mets’ 8-0 loss to the Marlins. “He’s tough. You can see it from a fan’s perspective. He made three saves, [Thursday] There was a walk, a wild pitch, and a ground ball. He still keeps whiffing. He still gets strikeouts.
“The level he pitched in 2022 was historic. [To expect] It would be unfair to him to continue doing that for the rest of his career. Now, can we expect him to go out there and make saves and shut out the other team? absolutely. “
Hefner said adjusting to the pitch clock is a potential challenge for Diaz, who was on the IL all of last season when the timing device was introduced.
“This is the first time he’s had to deal with something like this,” Hefner said. “That shows up a lot when you have guys on base. He’s been doing that a lot lately, so it’s just an adjustment.”
Brandon Nimmo missed his second consecutive game due to abdominal pain.
Tyrone Taylor batted as the leadoff batter for the second consecutive day.
The Mets have an MLB-best 32-20 record in overtime since 2020 (the year the automatic second base runner was introduced).
On Thursday, the Mets defeated the Phillies 6-5 in 11 overtime innings, their latest win.
Carlos Mendoza didn’t want to hear anything about the Mets getting a chance to step up against a dominant opponent this weekend.
The Marlins entered the game with the worst record in MLB with 13 wins and 32 losses.
“I don’t see anything sweet about the major league schedule,” Mendoza said. “You’re still playing against a big league team with big league players.”
