The New York Mets have placed star closer Edwin Diaz on the 15-day injured list, the team announced Wednesday. Diaz is dealing with a shoulder impingement. The Mets also announced that left-handed pitcher Josh Walker was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
Diaz and the Mets have struggled throughout the 2024 campaign, and now the star closer will be out for the foreseeable future with an unfortunate injury.
Diaz was previously regarded as one of the best closers in MLB. He led the league in saves with 57 during the 2018 season. In 2021 and 2022, he recored exactly 32 saves during each campaign. In 2022, Diaz pitched to a microscopic 1.31 ERA.
Many people around the MLB world considered Diaz to be the best closer in the sport. Expectations remained high heading into 2023, but Diaz suffered a devastating season-ending injury during the World Baseball Classic.
He returned in 2024 but has not been the same pitcher. The Mets closer currently holds a 5.40 ERA and five saves across 20 games pitched. He is struggling to miss bats and the results have been far from ideal.
The Mets will still miss Diaz amid his injury, though. He features one of the highest ceilings among closers in today's game. It is currently uncertain how much time Diaz will miss with the injury.
Edwin Diaz's difficult 2024 season
The 30-year-old has not looked like himself in 2024. One has to imagine that missing all of 2023 has played a role in his underperformance. It is difficult to return to pitching after not playing for a full season.
In the end, the Mets surely still believe in Diaz. He has a proven track record after all. But his struggles have been difficult to ignore this year.
New York will need to replace Diaz in the closer's role for now. Relievers such as Drew Smith and Brooks Raley are already on the injured list. Adam Ottavino and Jorge Lopez both have closing experience and have pitched fairly well in 2024, so they may be candidates.
Left-handed reliever Jake Diekman could also draw consideration. The Mets may opt to turn to a bullpen-by-committee approach with Diaz out. Diekman, who is left-handed as aforementioned, could give New York versatility with this strategy. He could offset the right-handed options in Ottavino and Lopez.
Either way, the Mets will need to figure something out.
Mets can't catch a break
Kodai Senga and Francisco Alvarez are also on the injured list. Senga, the Mets ace, has yet to pitch in 2024.
To make matters worse, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso exited Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers after getting hit in the hand by a pitch.
Alonso's status is unclear at the moment, but the incident was serious enough to remove him from the game. The Mets are obviously hoping for the best possible results.
Overall, the 2024 season is turning into one that New York may want to forget. Yes, it is not even June yet and they can still turn things around. The Mets entered Wednesday's contest sporting a lackluster 22-32 record. They are currently sitting in fourth place in the National League East as well.
Perhaps New York will find a way to defy the odds and get their season back on track. Given all of their injury woes at the moment, though, the odds of that happening are unlikely.
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