NEW YORK -- Edwin Díaz's uneven start to the season took a concerning turn on Wednesday, when he left the Mets¡¯ 4-3 win over the Phillies in the 10th inning due to cramping in his left hip.
For D¨ªaz, the good news is that he felt better following work with the training staff. He hoped to be back to full strength by Friday, when the Mets open a four-game series in Washington.
The bad news is that the episode only amplified concerns about D¨ªaz¡¯s shaky April.
¡°We¡¯ll see how he feels tomorrow and go from there,¡± manager Carlos Mendoza said, ¡°but hopefully it¡¯s nothing more than a cramp.¡±
Initially, D¨ªaz took the ball in a tie game in the ninth, setting down three consecutive Phillies on 11 pitches. When the Mets were unable to score in the bottom of the inning, D¨ªaz told Mendoza he was prepared to pitch the 10th as well, marking the first time this season he¡¯s gone more than three outs.
¡°I told him, ¡®I¡¯m coming back out,¡¯¡± D¨ªaz said. ¡°We¡¯re playing the Phillies, and they¡¯ve got a really good team. That¡¯s our rivals. We¡¯ve got to play hard always. I was feeling great. I was throwing the ball really good today. I was commanding my pitches the way I wanted to. When he asked me, I said yes right away.¡±
D¨ªaz¡¯s success continued with a strikeout of Kyle Schwarber, but the next batter, Nick Castellanos, hit a go-ahead RBI single. When D¨ªaz threw a first-pitch fastball to the ensuing hitter, J.T. Realmuto, he felt his hip get ¡°locked up.¡±
¡°I couldn¡¯t lift my leg a little bit,¡± D¨ªaz said.
Following a brief mound conversation with Mendoza, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and head athletic trainer Joe Golia, the Mets removed D¨ªaz from the game. Max Kranick entered and ultimately became the winning pitcher.
Back in the clubhouse, D¨ªaz received treatment, including dry needling, and passed a series of strength tests.
¡°Everything was feeling way better after,¡± he said.
This is the first hip issue of D¨ªaz¡¯s career, though he said he also felt an odd sensation earlier this week as he warmed before a game. While throwing, D¨ªaz felt like one of his legs was longer than the other. Trainers worked on his hips following that episode, and he pushed the issue out of his mind until the 10th inning Wednesday.
Consider this the latest hiccup for D¨ªaz, who fought flagging velocity during Spring Training that¡¯s continued into the regular season. With his margin for error reduced, D¨ªaz has allowed seven runs (six earned) in 11 appearances. He¡¯s still striking out batters at his usual rate, but his walk rate has spiked considerably over recent seasons. D¨ªaz is 6-for-6 in save chances but holds a 4.91 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP, both his worst totals since 2019.
If D¨ªaz misses any time, setup men Ryne Stanek and A.J. Minter would be the most likely candidates to step in for saves.
¡°As of right now, we¡¯ll see how we feel tomorrow,¡± D¨ªaz said before leaving the ballpark Wednesday. ¡°I feel strong. We did some work on my hip, and I was feeling better after. Let¡¯s see how I¡¯m feeling Friday.¡±