Mets Notes: Edwin Diaz pitches on back-to-back days, Zack Short impressing offensively
Here are the latest Mets notes as spring training rolls on...
Edwin Diaz pitches on back-to-back days
Diaz told reporters on Wednesday that one of the biggest hurdles for him as he prepares for the start of the regular season is making appearances on back-to-back days.
The All-Star closer was finally able to accomplish that on Thursday.
After allowing his first run of the spring on Wednesday against the Marlins, Diaz returned to the mound this afternoon and he struck out a pair across a 12-pitch scoreless inning in a minor league game on the back fields in Port St. Lucie.
“I heard it went well,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He got his work in and had no issues at all.”
The skipper said Diaz will likely make one more appearance, either on Sunday or Monday, before the team heads back to New York for their Opening Day matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers later in the week.
Will Tonkin crack the bullpen?
As we close in on Opening Day, the competition for the last few spots in the Mets’ bullpen is heating up.
Right-hander Michael Tonkin continued his strong spring with 2.1 scoreless innings of work while walking two and striking out one in the Mets’ 10-5 win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon.
“He was really good,” Mendoza said. “That was the plan coming in, we wanted him to get three ups and get to around 50 pitches. He came in with traffic and I thought he handled it well. It was really good work for him, he’s in a good spot.”
Tonkin certainly has put himself in a terrific spot as he’s struck out seven and is yet to allow a run across 7.2 innings of work this spring.
The 34-year-old is competing with the likes of Sean Reid-Foley, Yoan Ramirez, and Phil Bickford but he looks to be one of the favorites to serve as a swingman for Mendoza and the Mets come Opening Day.
Short's got a shot?
The competition for the last bench spot also seems to be wide open as Opening Day approaches.
On Thursday, infielder Zack Short continued to make a strong case as he crushed a grand slam to cap off New York's seven-run top of the eighth against his former team.
Short's been more known for his glove to this point in his big-league career, but he's made a strong impression at the plate thus far with his new organization.
"He’s having a really good camp," Mendoza said. "We know the glove and he can play all over the field, but I like what I’m seeing from him offensively, he’s putting together really good at-bats. We still have a week to go, that's another tough decision we're going to have to make."
The Sacred Heart University product is quietly hitting .303 with four extra-base hits, eight RBI, and a .895 OPS through 33 spring at-bats.
Veterans DJ Stewart, Luke Voit, and Jiman Choi are also in the mix but perhaps Short's versatility and defensive prowess will give him an advantage on a team that's put an emphasis on run prevention this offseason.
