The New York Mets grabbed a gutsy 4–3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, but it came with a bit of a scare.
Star closer Edwin Diaz exited in the 10th inning after experiencing left hip tightness that left him visibly uncomfortable on the mound.
Diaz initially tried to work through the cramping but ultimately left after a brief meeting with the trainer. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear to be anything too serious.
What the Mets are saying about Diaz’s injury
Manager Carlos Mendoza wasn’t panicking after the game.
“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow and go from there,” Mendoza said, “but hopefully it’s nothing more than a cramp.”
Diaz himself downplayed the issue. “Everything was feeling way better after,” he said postgame, adding some optimism to what could’ve been a nightmarish development.
The 31-year-old did receive treatment and reported improvement shortly after the game ended.
Diaz hasn’t looked like himself… yet
Through 11 innings this season, Diaz is sporting a 4.91 ERA — far from elite.
However, his underlying metrics suggest a return to form could be coming soon.
He currently ranks in the 97th percentile in whiff rate and 95th in strikeout rate, both of which align with his pre-injury dominance. His 13.91 K/9 is elite, and his 50% ground ball rate indicates he’s keeping hitters from elevating too often.
What’s dragging his performance down? A mix of walks and damage contact at inopportune moments.
Who steps in if Diaz misses time?
With Diaz likely to rest a few games as a precaution, the Mets could turn to veteran righty Ryne Stanek or left-hander AJ Minter to handle closing duties.
Both pitchers have experience in high-leverage roles, and Minter, in particular, has shown the ability to thrive in stressful situations with a solid mix of strikeouts and soft contact.
That flexibility will help manager Carlos Mendoza weather any short-term absence from his star closer.
Are the Mets finally hitting their stride?
The Mets have now won seven straight games, showing plenty of life after an uneven start to the year. The offense is clicking just enough, and the rotation has been better than expected.
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As Diaz works back from this minor hiccup, all eyes will be on how the Mets handle bullpen roles and whether their recent momentum can carry into May.