Mets did not allow Edwin Diaz to pitch in Puerto Rican league

The New York Mets did not give Edwin Diaz permission to pitch in the Puerto Rican league as he was hoping.

The 26-year-old relief pitcher told MLB.com’s Nathalie Alonso in December that he was hoping to pitch for the Criollos de Caguas of the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League this year. The Criollos have played four games this season, and Diaz did not appear in any of the games. That’s because he was not given permission by the Mets to play, a PR official told MLB.com’s Nathalie Alonso.

Update: Per a PR official for the Criollos de Caguas, Edwin Díaz did not receive permission from the #Mets to play winter ball.

Díaz said last month that he hoped to pitch a few innings for Caguas as part of his preparation for Spring Training. https://t.co/zITIQy3VQo

— Nathalie Alonso (@NathalieMLB) January 21, 2021

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and short 2020 MLB season, it’s understandable why the Mets may have denied Diaz’s request.

The team acquired Diaz in a Dec. 2018 trade with the Mariners that also involved Robinson Cano. The deal was among Brodie Van Wagenen’s first during his brief stint on the job. Diaz was abysmal in his first season with the Mets, but he settled in nicely last season. Diaz went 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA and had 50 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched.