The New York Mets received the news that their closer Edwin Díaz will keep his recovery sessions traveling with the team in their away games for the remainder of the Major League Baseball season.
Diaz made the trip with his teammates during the series against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park and is expected to continue to do so for the remainder of the road series in this final stretch of the Major League season.
Manager Buck Showalter confirmed the news: “Edwin is right where he needs to be. You know, he’s progressing. We had established that in the best of scenarios he would be pitching in late September and early October if he made the postseason. This schedule is aggressive and, as long as I haven’t had any setbacks, I would pass.”
And he confirmed: “Since there will be no baseball in October (due to the elimination of the Mets) well, that is the debate as to whether he will play at some point. But we’re not there yet because we’re looking at how the remainder of September is progressing.”
“Bringing him with us all the way to Washington is just so he can continue to pitch and meet with Jeremy (Hefner, pitching coach for the Mets) and let the coaching staff and he make sure that you follow the procedures and the steps that are being taken. I think he will travel with us for the remainder of the season, unless there is something that changes,” Showalter added.
Diaz throws broken pitches
Showalter also revealed to the media before Wednesday’s game that Diaz threw breaking balls for the first time since returning from major knee surgery.
For his part, the reliever stated: “We have to see how my knee responds. right now i feel so good. We have to see how many bullpens I have and then I guess I’ll have to throw a couple of live BPs and then see what comes out.”
Diaz returned to the mound during a bullpen session Sunday morning at Citi Field 166 days after suffering the injury during the World Baseball Classic.
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