Edwin Diaz is coming out of the phone booth and arriving on the scene just in the nick of time, as the New York Mets (42-44) try to end their recent bullpen woes before losing any more ground in the standings.
Drawing parallels between the two-time Reliever of the Year (one in each league) and The Last Son of Krypton is admittedly a tad premature, however, given his turbulent 2024 campaign. Diaz went through a dismal stretch earlier in the year in which he simply could not buy a save, but he has not allowed a run in his last three outings. Another reason why the Superman comparison could be out of place is because the closer just finished serving a 10-game suspension for allegedly breaking the rules.
The MLB punished Diaz after umpire Vic Carapazza determined that he violated the league's policy of foreign substances before preparing to work the ninth inning of the Mets' 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on June 23. Despite not appealing the suspension, the two-time All-Star vehemently denies using the infamous “sticky stuff.”
Consequently, he does not intend to change his pre-appearance approach now that he is officially back with the ballclub. “I don’t feel guilty, because I didn’t have anything,” Edwin Diaz said Saturday afternoon ahead of New York's road battle against the Pittsburgh Pirates (42-45), per Newsday's Tim Healey. “I was using the right stuff they allow us to use. So I didn’t feel guilty.”
Regardless of the past, Mets need Edwin Diaz
Whenever a pitcher is penalized for supposedly applying the “sticky stuff,” a debate emerges about the similarities between rosin on a hot and humid day and an illegal substance. Carapazza confidently asserts that the cause of the texture was not rosin or sweat, insisting that he knows the difference after checking countless hands.
In any case, Diaz is active and can instantly aid the Mets' ailing pen. In his absence, their relievers scuffled mightily and blew multiple games. The team is below .500 again and sits three and a half games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the third National League Wild Card position. Even an unpredictable Diaz is a welcome sight right now.
At his best, the 30-year-old Puerto Rican is lights-out on the mound. He posted a sensational 1.31 ERA and 32 saves in 61 games for New York in 2022. He struck out a whopping 118 batters in 62 innings, enthralling Queens all yearlong. Since then, however, Edwin Diaz has been plagued by horrendous luck and troubling command issues.
He has a 4.70 ERA and already surrendered five home runs this season. Though, the veteran right-hander is looking much sharper following his 15-day stint on the injured list (shoulder impingement) at the end of May. For the Mets' sake, hopefully he can shake off whatever rust there is from his suspension and fortify the back end of their bullpen once and for all.
A crucial stretch awaits this team
New York must take advantage of a soft part of its schedule– Pirates, Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies– before it heads into MLB All-Star break. Otherwise, president of baseball operations David Stearns may be backed into an unpleasant corner at the July 30 trade deadline.
When breaking down the dire circumstances that could face this franchise, it seems more than reasonable to adorn Diaz with the metaphorical red cape. He probably needs to channel his past superhero form if the Mets are going to have a genuine chance at October baseball.
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