Edwin Diaz has had a nightmarish start to the 2020 season, and he is opening up a bit about his early struggles.
During Thursday’s loss to the Boston Red Sox, the New York Mets reliever allowed four of the five batters he faced in the ninth inning to reach base, effectively closing the door on a Mets comeback. Diaz told reporters on Friday that he feels off with his mechanics.
“It was a little bit surprising how the outing went,” said Diaz, per Justin Toscano of The Record. “It had been five days since I last threw. I didn’t feel like I had my mechanics in order.”
Diaz added that was open to pitching “whenever” and would prefer to do so more frequently instead of having long layoffs.
Mets manager Luis Rojas also said he and Diaz had a “healthy conversation” about Thursday’s outing and that the 26-year-old is willing to pitch in whatever spot the Mets ask, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
The former All-Star Diaz now has a 7.71 ERA in three appearances so far this season. He was a centerpiece of the Robinson Cano trade with the Seattle Mariners after leading the AL in saves in 2018, but now his continued hold on the Mets closer job appears to be getting tenuous.
Not long ago, some questioned Diaz’s fitness for the New York life, and now those concerns could be coming to light once again if he keeps struggling.
