Mets’ Edwin Diaz Placed on 15-Day IL with Shoulder Injury; 4 Blown Saves in 2024
Adam WellsMay 29, 2024
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
After allowing eight earned runs in his last five appearances, New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz has landed on the injured list.
The Mets announced on Wednesday that Diaz has been placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder impingement.
Josh Walker has been called up from Triple-A to take Diaz’s spot on the 26-man roster.
Diaz’s season went south in a hurry. The two-time All-Star began the year looking like the closer who dominated hitters throughout the entire 2022 campaign. He had a 0.93 ERA, 14 strikeouts and four saves over 9.2 innings in his first 10 appearances.
In his last 10 appearances dating back to April 29, Diaz has a 9.58 ERA with 14 hits, 16 strikeouts and four homers allowed over 10.1 innings. He has blown four saves in his last eight games.
The low point for Diaz came on May 18 when he allowed four runs in the bottom of the ninth against the Miami Marlins to turn a 9-5 lead into a tie game. The Mets went on to lose the game in the 10th inning on Otto Lopez’s walk-off single.
Diaz last pitched on May 25 against the San Francisco Giants when he blew his fourth save in a 7-2 loss.
Per Statcast metrics, Diaz still ranks in the 90th percentile or better in fastball velocity (97.0 mph), strikeout percentage (35.3) and whiff percentage (37.5).
The problem is when opponents do hit the ball, they are usually making quality contact. Diaz ranks in the 12th percentile in barrel percentage (10.6). He only allowed a 4.1 percent barrel rate in 2022.
Diaz missed the entire 2023 season after suffering a torn patellar tendon while celebrating Puerto Rico’s victory over the Dominican Republic to reach the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.
The Mets signed Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract in November 2022 that remains the richest deal for a reliever in MLB history.
Adam Ottavino will likely move into the closer role for the Mets until Diaz can return. The right-hander has a 3.86 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 21 innings this season.
