Mets' Edwin Diaz addresses status after latest meltdown

Star New York Mets reliever Edwin Diaz spoke with Jon Heyman of the New York Post on Sunday about what Diaz and the Mets hope will be a temporary demotion from his ninth-inning role amid his ongoing struggles. 

"I feel good, I feel great," Diaz said after he completed a bullpen session. "I talked to them, and we’re on the same page. I’ll just go to work and get my confidence back and be back in my closing job." 

Diaz failed to convert saves in three of his previous four chances before he blew a four-run lead in the ninth inning of what became a 10-9 loss at the Miami Marlins on Saturday. Steve Gelbs of SNY later reported that Diaz was brought to tears following his latest on-the-mound meltdown, and Fox News/The Associated Press pointed out on Sunday night that the 30-year-old has a 10.80 ERA over his last eight appearances. 

Diaz earned the 2022 Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award and signed a five-year, $102M contract with the Mets following that campaign. However, he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating a Puerto Rico win during the World Baseball Classic in March 2023 that kept him sidelined for all of last season. 

He's responsible for a 5.50 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP across 18 appearances and 18 innings of work this season.

Confidence issues aren't all that's impacting Diaz this spring. Tim Britton of The Athletic noted on Monday that Diaz's velocity remains down from where it was in 2022. Britton also mentioned how the right-hander is struggling to get strikes with his fastball and is too often hanging sliders over the middle of the plate. 

Reliever Reed Garrett finished off New York's 7-3 win in Miami on Sunday and presumably will serve as the Mets' fill-in closer while Diaz tries to turn things around. 

"We all believe in [Diaz]," Garrett told Heyman. "We all know he’s going to be back. We all know that he’s elite when he’s right. And we know that we’re going to do everything we can to get him right."

The 21-25 Mets open a three-game series at the 30-17 Cleveland Guardians on Monday evening.