MIAMI — Edwin Diaz is open to a change to assist ignite the slumping New York Mets — even when which means dropping his function as nearer.
Amid a horrible begin to the 2024 season through which he has blown two consecutive save possibilities and three of his previous 4, the star reliever with a $102 million contract mentioned he could be keen to vary his function if the workforce thinks that is greatest.
“I am open to every part,” Diaz mentioned Saturday after squandering a four-run lead within the ninth inning towards one of many league’s worst-hitting groups within the Miami Marlins.
Diaz has a ten.80 ERA over his previous eight appearances after serving up 4 homers in 8⅓ innings.
“I need to assist my workforce to win,” he mentioned. “That is my predominant factor. In the event that they need to speak to me about that and I be ok with it, I agree on it. I simply need to win video games in any place they put me.”
The struggling Mets (20-25) led the Marlins 9-5 when Díaz entered within the ninth.
He allowed an RBI single by Jazz Chisholm Jr. that drove in Vidal Brujan, who had led off with a double. Bryan De La Cruz reached on an infield single with one out, and Josh Bell hammered Diaz’s first-pitch slider 428 toes to straightaway heart area for a three-run shot that tied the rating.
That was it for Diaz, who wasn’t charged with a blown save as a result of he got here in with a four-run lead. However in his previous three outings he has given up seven earned runs, seven hits, three walks and two homers over 2⅓ innings.
New York misplaced 10-9 when Otto Lopez singled dwelling the profitable run off Jorge Lopez within the tenth.
Mets supervisor Carlos Mendoza mentioned he is involved about Diaz’s confidence. The 30-year-old Diaz, a two-time All-Star, indicated his struggles this season are principally psychological.
“I will not lie, my confidence I really feel is down proper now,” he mentioned. “I am making pitches. I am throwing strikes. I am attempting to do my greatest to assist the workforce to win. Proper now I am not in that capability.
“Bodily, I really feel 100% proper now. My physique just isn’t a problem. I feel proper now I’ve bought to consider what I am doing, belief myself a little bit bit extra once I’m on the mound. I feel I am pondering an excessive amount of.”
Mendoza indicated the workforce would think about transferring Diaz out of the nearer function to assist him rebuild his confidence.
“It is a kind of issues I’ve to speak to the teaching workers and to Edwin,” Mendoza mentioned, “whether or not we need to discover him some softer spots to get him going. He is nonetheless our nearer and he’ll get via it.”
Saturday was Diaz’s first outing at Miami’s dwelling ballpark since he tore the patellar tendon in his proper knee whereas celebrating a win for Puerto Rico within the World Baseball Basic there in March 2023.
The harm required surgical procedure and price him all the 2023 season. He was baseball’s most dominant nearer in 2022, hanging out 118 batters in 62 innings whereas saving 32 video games and compiling a 1.31 ERA.
The Related Press contributed to this story.
