New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz. Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Mets reliever gets lukewarm vote of confidence from manager

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 5/25/24

Will Edwin Diaz take back the closer role for the New York Mets anytime soon? It does not necessarily sound likely based on the lukewarm vote of confidence he got from manager Carlos Mendoza.

Mendoza was asked if there was a chance the struggling Diaz could get a save opportunity on Saturday if one arises. The manager gave a standard “he’s our closer” response about Diaz, but went on to dismiss Diaz as simply “one of our options.”

Asked if Edwin Díaz could receive a ninth-inning opportunity today, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said: "He's our closer."

But Mendoza also referred to Díaz as "one of our options" and said "we'll piece it together."

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 25, 2024

The Mets are a mess at the back of the bullpen right now. Diaz was effectively removed from the closer role after three straight disastrous outings, but pitched a scoreless seventh inning Friday against the San Francisco Giants.

The Mets went on to allow five runs in the eighth to lose Friday’s game anyway, and Mendoza is struggling to find a reliable late-game relief option at the moment.

It has been a messy season for the Mets in many ways, with Friday’s loss dropping them to 21-29 on the season. The Diaz mess is only going to exacerbate the problems, though perhaps he is starting to get back on track.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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