The New York Mets sold at the trade deadline and are in the NL East cellar at 60-71, though that does not mean they will shut down all-world closer Edwin Díaz for the season. Díaz, who has not pitched this year after suffering a major knee injury during the World Baseball Classic, is making progress with his rehab and hopes to get into games this year.
"The goal is, I want to pitch this year. The progress has been perfect," Díaz told reporters Monday, including Newsday and The Athletic. "... I want to finish the season on a positive note."
Díaz threw his first bullpen session Sunday and pitched at 93-95 mph -- "I was hitting it easy," he told MLB.com -- which is excellent velocity for the first mound session following a major injury. He'll need a proper build up to get back into his usual 99-100 mph range, though the early returns are very promising.
For all intents and purposes, the Mets are playing meaningless games now. Bringing Díaz back in September may seem foolish, but after an injury like his, getting back on a big-league mound will give him peace of mind. Díaz doesn't want to go into the offseason not knowing how his knee will respond in an actual game. As long as he's healthy, he should pitch.
A year ago Díaz had one of the all-time great closer seasons, going 32 for 35 in save chances and pitching to a 1.31 ERA. He struck out 118 batters in 62 innings -- 50.2% of the 235 batters he faced -- and held opponents to a .160/.230/.216 batting line. It was truly one of the greatest seasons by a closer in baseball history.
The Mets rewarded Díaz with a five-year, $102 million contract last offseason that set reliever records for total guarantee and average annual value ($20.4 million). He suffered his knee injury not pitching in the WBC, but when he was jumping up and down celebrating Puerto Rico's upset win over the Dominican Republic.
During Díaz's absence David Robertson served as New York's primary closer in the first half. He was traded to the Miami Marlins at the deadline. Phil Bickford, Trevor Gott, and Adam Ottavino have recorded the club's three saves in August.
