Edwin Diaz’s long-awaited return to bullpen gives Mets immeasurable boost in 2024

QUEENS, N.Y. — New York Mets star closer Edwin Diaz’s 2023 season was lost before he could even throw a pitch in the majors after suffering a right patellar tendon tear in his knee when celebrating with Team Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic. But out of a testing year that included surgery and approximately 10 months of rehabilitation, the toughest thing for the fireballing right-hander was sitting in front of the television, the clubhouse, or the dugout.

“It was tough because I’m a guy who would like to help the team win every time in any situation,” Diaz said. “If they needed me, I would be there. Being out a year, sitting there in the clubhouse watching them play every single day was tough. I was supporting them but at the same time, I was thinking, ‘I wish I could be on the mound helping the team win.’ That was hard because that was my first time being injured in my whole career. Sitting there in the dugout was tough.”

Fifty-four weeks after being carried off the field at loanDepot Park in Miami, Diaz is finally getting back on the mound for the Mets as the 2024 regular season begins with a three-game series at Citi Field against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“I feel great to be back, my first game at home,” Diaz said. “That is a pleasure for me to be in front of my teammates, my family, and the fans.”

The 30-year-old admitted that there will be “chills,” when the bullpen doors open in the ninth inning and Timmy Trumpet’s “Narcos” begins to play, but that will be the extent of any kind of nerves that might come from a long layoff. Reservations of putting stress on that surgically repaired knee — whether that is making a play in the field or celebrating — is nowhere near the front of his mind, either.

“I’ve been able to block it out because I have to jump and do a lot of things in the gym,” Diaz said. “That was one of the tests [during rehab], to jump. I feel really good, so I’ve been able to block everything out. When it comes to celebrations, I will try to be careful. After a big win, we celebrate and do everything… that won’t be any issue for me after we finish a game.”

Extra time in his ramp-up to game shape helped create such an unflinchable mindset. Diaz exceeded nearly every aspect of his rehabilitation to the point where the Mets were toying with the idea of bringing him back to pitch in September during the final month of the 2023 season. With the team out of contention, though, there was no need to take any risks.

“That helped me a lot because I got stronger but at the same time, I was ready to pitch in September,” Diaz said. “When they decided to pack it up the last month of the season, I was happy too because that gave me extra time to keep working and keep getting stronger.”

Not only did Diaz become meticulous in his gym work, but he also changed his eating habits. He has cut down on candy, an admitted vice, and has begun eating more salads where he admitted, “My body feels way better now… Eating healthy food helped me out a lot during the process.”

Despite the clean bill of health, first-year manager Carlos Mendoza will gradually increase his workload to what it was two years ago. That means putting off four-out saves for the time being.

“We feel good where he’s at physically, mentally,” Mendoza said. “As far as getting four outs, I’m pretty sure we’ll get to that point. I’m not sure we’ll do it early in the season, but it’s still fluid.”

Regardless, a strong return restores the crown jewel of the Mets bullpen — an absence that the team never recovered from last year. The last time he was on a mound in Queens, Diaz put together one of the most seasons by a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball history, striking out more than half of the batters he faced (118 of 235) while posting a 1.31 ERA and 32 saves.

“Edwin is one of the leaders of this team,” star shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “He’s one of the most electric pitchers in the game. Having him to finish games is going to be great. It was great the previous years. It’s almost like when you have a closer of that caliber, it’s almost like you play for eight innings, and then here comes Edwin, you expect nine to 12 pitches, and then we get out.

“Of course he’s human, he’s going to have tough days, but he gives you that sense of calmness of, ‘OK, we’re about to finish this.’ So it feels good to have him. He’s a good friend and I’m looking forward to seeing a bounceback year from him.”