Mets’ Edwin Diaz dominates Marlins in first spring appearance since knee injury
Edwin Diaz is back, and at least for one night, he looked better than ever.
Diaz made his first Grapefruit League appearance Monday night at Clover Park, throwing in front of Mets fans for the first time since last spring.
This outing came four days shy of the first anniversary of his crushing knee injury at the World Baseball Classic, but it looked like no time had passed. The torn patellar tendon in his right knee that cost him the entirety of the 2023 season is a thing of the past.
A crowd gathered on the third base side of the Clover Field complex with fans trying to get a look at Diaz while he was warming. The baseline of “Narco” began to play, and Diaz ran out to the mound as the trumpets sounded. The fans were on their feet.
He struck out the side against the Miami Marlins, touching 97-98 on the radar gun and using his devastating slider.
“It was crazy,” Diaz told reporters. “I saw the people screaming and everything and I was trying to control my emotions in that moment because I know I have to do my job. It’s a spring training game but I treated this game like a regular season (game), so I was trying to control everything — my emotions and my pitches.
“Everything went really good.”
It brought back memories of 2022, when the right-hander logged a historic season and set the city on fire with his walkout song. “Narco” was everywhere, from Queens to a football game in Alabama to a “Puss in Boots” movie trailer. Diaz’s popularity helped the song reach the Billboard charts.
All while his pitching was off the charts.
It was always going to be impossible for the Mets to absorb the blow of losing Diaz, a fireballing closer with excellent control, but the relief corps has since realized just how hard it was without the two-time All-Star. Sure, there were valid questions about Billy Eppler’s scouting and roster construction, but the consensus in the clubhouse now is that Diaz’s return in 2024 is something they even quantify.
It takes the pressure off of the middle relievers and the setup men, knowing that a stalwart stopper is there to close things out. Leads won’t feel so fragile.
The Mets may not have gone all out in free agency, but getting Diaz back is a huge addition. His 14-pitch fifth inning brought a little bit of hope and a lot of joy to the fans and the clubhouse. The team is still being cautious with their star closer, but it was a positive step forward.
The Mets lost 1-0, with Tim Anderson’s solo homer off Tylor Megill being the only offense of the game. Megill, who added several pitches to his repertoire this winter, is battling for a spot in the rotation and bolstered his cause with this outing. The right-hander allowed one run on three hits and struck out two in his fourth Grapefruit League start.
Megill didn’t allow a walk. After struggling with his control last year, Megill has only allowed two walks this spring, both of which came in his last start against the Yankees. The Mets have been impressed with his new offerings and his physical shape.
With Kodai Senga set to start the season on the injured list, Megill has a good shot to replace him in the rotation.
