Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Mets’ Edwin Díaz pokes fun at brother about potential NLCS matchup
May 26, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) reacts after recording a strike out to end the top of the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

If the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers meet again in the NLCS this season, the 2024 rematch may not be the only captivating storyline leading into it.

There is a chance that Mets All-Star Edwin Díaz and his younger brother, Alexis, could both be closing out games on opposite sides. Alexis was traded to the Dodgers on May 29 after spending his first few seasons with the Cincinnati Reds.

The two right-handers do everything together during the offseason—from working out to playing catch to throwing bullpens side by side. Before Wednesday’s 6-1 Mets win, Edwin was asked by MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger about the possibility of competing against his brother with a trip to the World Series on the line.

“That would be great,” Edwin said. “But I wanna be on the mound Game 7 to take us to the World Series, so, sorry for Alexis.”

Edwin, 31, has converted 13 of his 14 save opportunities this season, posting a 2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 13.9 K/9 rate across 25.1 innings. He was virtually unhittable in May, tallying 14 strikeouts while allowing just seven baserunners over 11.1 scoreless innings, which earned him NL Reliever of the Month.

The 2025 campaign has been a different story for his younger brother, however. In six appearances with Cincinnati, Alexis allowed eight runs on eight hits—including four home runs—while striking out three and walking five. He was sent down to Triple-A Louisville on May 1, where he posted a 4.61 ERA and 1.90 WHIP in 14.1 innings before being traded to Los Angeles.

Upon joining the Dodgers, Alexis reported to the team’s spring training facility in Arizona to undergo mechanical adjustments before seeing any game action. Over the past two seasons, he had lost nearly three miles per hour off his once-96 mph fastball, while his strikeout rate, swinging-strike rate, walk rate, and contact rate all trended in the wrong direction.

If the Dodgers can get the 28-year-old Díaz back on track, there is plenty of upside to be had. Alexis finished fifth in the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year voting, made the All-Star team in 2023, and recorded 75 total saves over his first three seasons.

Read More: How New York Mets' on-deck sledgehammer routine originated

On Sept. 6 of last year, the Díaz brothers pitched in the same game for the first time—not just in MLB, but in their entire lives. Both tossed scoreless frames to send the game into extras before the Mets later won on a walk-off homer by Mark Vientos with Justin Wilson on the mound.

Following Thursday afternoon’s series finale, the Mets and Dodgers will not meet again in 2025 unless they face off in the postseason. So if the Díaz brothers do appear in the same game again this year, both the stakes and the bragging rights will be higher than ever between them.


This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Yankees manager provides major update on Aaron Judge's injury
MLB

Yankees manager provides major update on Aaron Judge's injury

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge missed Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies with an elbow injury, and the slugger is now headed to the injured list. The Yankees fell 9-4 to the Phillies on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., which marked their third consecutive loss. Judge played in Friday night's 12-5 loss to Philadelphia, but Aaron Boone announced before Saturday's game that Judge was dealing with an "elbow issue" and would sit out. Following his team's latest loss, Boone shared some new information about Judge's injury. Judge has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, but the Yankees believe he can return in less than two weeks. When Judge returns to the lineup, Boone said it will initially be as a designated hitter. Judge is having an outstanding season. He entered Saturday batting .342, which is the best mark in baseball. The reigning American League MVP has 37 home runs, 85 RBI and a 1.160 OPS. The Yankees are now six games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and fighting to remain atop the wild-card race. It goes without saying that they are hopeful Judge will be able to return as soon as possible.

Steelers' Troy Fautanu Admits To Internal Beef That Has Been Obvious Throughout Training Camp
NFL

Steelers' Troy Fautanu Admits To Internal Beef That Has Been Obvious Throughout Training Camp

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been easing their way into training camp ahead of the 2025 season. The players have just been wearing helmets and shorts, and the pads will come on soon. Pittsburgh's training camp is always known as being one of the most intense in the league, and that is because Head Coach Mike Tomlin has his team go full contact, which is something other coaches around the NFL try to avoid. The pads will come on on Tuesday, and fans should expect to see some skirmishes as emotions rise throughout the rest of camp. Practices in just helmets and shorts are difficult for the big guys in the trenches. It is essentially impossible to simulate blocking without pads on, so the defenders and offensive linemen are itching for when the team gets to go full contact. Second-year offensive lineman Troy Fautanu spoke to the media on Sunday, and he shared how things have been going at practice, while also noting that the two sides of the ball have been going at it. "You know, there's a lot of banter going on between the offense and the defense right now." Fautanu said. "As you guys could tell yesterday, things got a little rowdy. I mean, that's something that's normal. I'm super excited just to finally be able to play real football, because as an offensive lineman it's the worst thing to play football in shorts and t-shirts." Fautanu is probably itching to get back to full contact more than others after missing nearly all of his rookie season in 2024. He played in one game in Week 2 before suffering a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the year. Tuesday will be the first time he gets to put the pads on and get truly physical in nearly a year. The way he described things, it sounds like there will probably be some confrontations as the offense and defense have already been going at it. Training camp is going to be a true test for Fautanu. He is the team's starting right tackle going into the season, and the organization is relying on the offensive line to take a step forward. He needs to try to live up to his first-round label, and he is going to have to do so while blocking TJ Watt in every practice. Watt is going to be moving around the defensive formation more often than usual, but most of his snaps will come when he is lined up over the right tackle. Fautanu is going to be tested on every snap, and if he can handle Watt, he can handle anyone in the league. Having to go up against Watt every day in practice is good for Fautanu in the long run. Practicing against the best is only going to make him better, and he won't have to block anyone during the 2025 regular season that is as good of a pass rusher as Watt. Steelers' Fautanu Could Solidify 2024 Draft For Pittsburgh It is already looking like the Steelers made a ton of right decisions during the 2024 NFL Draft. Zach Frazier had a spectacular rookie season in 2024, and he is looking like he could be one of the best centers in the league. Mason McCormick was a pleasant surprise at right tackle when he was thrust into the starting lineup, and it seems he has gotten considerably better over the course of the 2025 offseason. If Fautanu can prove he is the starting right tackle of the future for the Steelers, then the organization would have nailed three cornerstones of the franchise in just one draft. All contenders have solid offensive lines, and it looks like the Steelers might have one that could be great in the near future.

Longtime Maple Leafs Defenseman in Serious Contract Dispute With His New Team
NHL

Longtime Maple Leafs Defenseman in Serious Contract Dispute With His New Team

The longtime former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins is in a serious contract dispute with his new team, the Buffalo Sabres. Nobody appears happy to stay with the Buffalo Sabres organization. Most of the talented players on the team were included in trade or free agency rumors, and now, Timmins doesn't appear too excited to sign with the team. Indeed, the Restricted Free Agent, who was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Sabres earlier this offseason for Connor Clifton and a second-round pick, isn't close to reaching a deal in Buffalo. With arbitration hearings set to take place over the coming days, Timmins and the Sabres are likely to meet for that reason soon. Unless a deal is reached before then, the hearing will take place on August 2nd. The Ontario native is coming off a rocky season, where he played 51 games for the Leafs and 17 more in Pittsburgh after being traded. In those 68 games, the 26-year-old defenseman tallied 15 points, including three goals. After seeing three players around the NHL reach deals before their hearing date, some fans hoped to see the Sabres and Timmins sign a contract soon, but multiple reports confirmed that there hasn't been any 'traction' between both camps. As of now, five more players are scheduled to have salary hearings. Here's the full list, per PuckPedia: Arvid Soderblom (Chicago Blackhawks) - July 28 Maksim Tsyplakov (New York Islanders) - July 29 Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets) - July 30 Conor Timmins (Buffalo Sabres) - August 2 Nicholas Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs) - August 3 Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens) - August 3 It'll be interesting to see what kind of contract Timmins would get in a hearing, or if a deal will be reached before the date. With the Sabres' reputation, it's not surprising to see that he appears reluctant to sign in Buffalo. Hopefully for their fans, massive changes will be done to the team to make sure they can attract top talent and convince them to stay with the team.

Cleveland Guardians Slapped With Bad News Before Trade Deadline
MLB

Cleveland Guardians Slapped With Bad News Before Trade Deadline

The Cleveland Guardians are quite a mystery heading into the MLB trade deadline, as no one seems to know whether they will buy, sell or possibly even do nothing before July 31. The Guardians are hovering around .500, but they are still smack dab in the middle of the American League Wild Card race. That's in spite of losing 10 straight just before the All-Star break. Even with Cleveland remaining in contention, there are some who believe the Guardians might sell given their conservative nature, but talk show host Bruce Drennan has provided some rather bad news for the team in that regard: the players they might want to move don't have much value. “No top prospects for a big bat, and I don’t necessarily see us selling players, like Carlos Santana or Lane Thomas. What can you get in return?” Drennan said. Drennan has a point. Santana and Thomas are both impending free agents, and neither has been all that good this season. Santana owns a .665 OPS, and Thomas has been on and off the injured list while hitting just .160 on the year. Of course, the Guardians would surely be able to land a hefty return for players like Steven Kwan and Emmanuel Clase, but it does not seem like Cleveland is going to move either of those two stars. Perhaps the Guardians will surprise some people and go all in by adding pieces at the deadline, but that isn't exactly in their nature. We'll see what happens before the end of the months, but it stands to reason that Cleveland might just stand pat, as Drennan anticipates. Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage