Edwin Diaz

The New York Mets—utterly relentless at the plate in the past two weeks—kept knocking on the door during Game 4 of the NLDS on Thursday, surprisingly to no avail.

Bases loaded in the first inning. No runs. Bases loaded in the second inning. No runs. Runners on first and second with no outs in the fifth. No runs.

So when Francisco Lindor stepped to the plate with one out in the bottom of the sixth, the bases loaded and the Mets trailing the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0, the question pinging around the minds of fans at Citi Field was whether this would be the moment the dam finally broke.

Boy did it.

Lindor provided that resounding answer, blasting a grand slam off Carlos Estévez—generally Philadelphia's closer but called upon to handle a high-leverage situation—that provided all the offense New York would need in a 4-1 win, ending Philadelphia's season in the process.

FRANCISCO LINDOR. GRAND SLAM. #NLDS pic.twitter.com/CdKuEVOfT3

— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2024

Scenes around Citi Field after Francisco Lindor's grand slam 🤩 pic.twitter.com/zOiJaa7EOt

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 9, 2024

As you might imagine, Mets fans and pundits alike had nothing but praise for Lindor after that blast, and for New York's resiliency in general:

The relentlessness of the New York Mets is something to behold. pic.twitter.com/XoAVWOrWsL

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 9, 2024

Francisco Lindor after getting massive hit after massive hit pic.twitter.com/KgkH1RT7y7

— Perry Mattern (@pmattern7) October 9, 2024

Francisco Lindor has a swing you could hang in the MFA.

— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) October 9, 2024

OMG Mets holy cow wow! I love Lindor. Woooooooooooooow.

— Adam Schein (@AdamSchein) October 9, 2024

Holy crap Lindor!!!

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 9, 2024

The fact that Francisco Lindor has hit some of the biggest home runs in Mets history and hasn’t even cracked a smile on any of them. The man is a stone cold killer.

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) October 9, 2024

I have never loved an athlete more than I love Francisco Lindor.

— Sean Fennessey (@SeanFennessey) October 9, 2024

Every day we give thanks that Francisco Lindor chooses to walk among us instead of ascending to the higher plane of existence where he belongs.

— Ted Berg (@OGTedBerg) October 9, 2024

THE METS ARE FUN.

— Zachary D. Rymer (@zachrymer) October 9, 2024

The Mets have forced me to reconsider my stance that a team should only have one gimmick at a time. Coming around to the idea that actually the perfect baseball team is a tangle of fast-food mascots, roadside pumpkins, and journeyman infielders working on their music careers

— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) October 9, 2024

This has been one of the most fun Mets teams ever, but my god do they make these games excruciating sometimes.

— Rich MacLeod (@richmacleod) October 9, 2024

Because the Mets can't do anything without drama, Edwin Díaz walked the first two batters in the top of the ninth inning, bringing the tying run to the plate. But he settled down from there, striking out two and inducing a fly ball to send New York to the NLCS and send the Phillies packing.

This wasn't a terribly complicated series. Philadelphia's starting pitching was generally solid, but the Mets absolutely mashed what was a highly-regarded bullpen coming into the playoffs. Those issues were compounded by a Phillies lineup that showed little plate discipline throughout the series and only managed five runs in the three losses.

It will be a winter of soul-searching within the Phillies organization after the team regressed for a second straight postseason, reaching the World Series in 2022, the NLCS in 2023 and only the NLDS this season.

But for the Mets, the magical run continues, thanks largely to Lindor. No team in baseball has come up bigger in the clutch in the past two weeks than this Grimace-graced bunch, so it was only a matter of time on Wednesday before it found a way.

Edwin Díaz wanted the ball.

The New York Mets closer came into Monday's game in the eighth inning with the Mets up 6-3 but surrendered four runs. After Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth, Díaz pushed to remain in the game despite manager Carlos Mendoza trying to take him out.

"I'm going back out. I don't care what you say, I'm going back out," Díaz told Mendoza, per Tim Britton of The Athletic. "I got this s--t."

Díaz entered the ninth inning and allowed a single hit while recording a strikeout and sealing the 8-7 win that clinched a postseason berth for the Mets. He picked up a win for the effort and made the second game of the doubleheader much less stressful.

Díaz is the player that the Mets want in that save situation, but blowing that save would have put Mendoza in a really tough position for the second game. Díaz threw 40 pitches in the outing and would have been unavailable for a similar situation in the second matchup.

If he had blown the save again, New York would have needed to win the second game and would have been forced to rely on pitching depth to secure that win. Instead, the Mets could just push through the second game knowing that it would only impact postseason seeding.

New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz took exception to Oakland Athletics reliever Austin Adams using the "OMG" celebration when he escaped a jam in the fifth inning of Tuesday's 9-4 victory.

Speaking to Bridget Reilly of the New York Post, Díaz said Adams "crossed a line" with the celebration.

"He crossed a line because that's something we do when we hit a homer or something," Díaz explained. "He [can] do it always, that's fine. But, he can't get mad if we do something to him the next couple of days."

After the Mets scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut their deficit to 7-4, Adams was brought in from the bullpen with two on and nobody out. He escaped the jam striking out Jeff McNeil, getting José Iglesias to fly out in foul territory and striking out Francisco Álvarez.

Following the Álvarez strikeout, McNeil raised his hands to the sky and appeared to mimic the Mets' "OMG" celebration that has been adopted by the team this season.

Austin Adams appeared to mimic the OMG Mets celebration after striking out Francisco Alvarez to get out of a jam in the 5th pic.twitter.com/zzH3pOezJN

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 14, 2024

Adams said after the game his celebration wasn't intended to upset anyone on the Mets.

A's reliever Austin Adams: “Honestly, I looked up, and I was so surprised that I got out of it, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ And then it dawned on me: Oh my gosh. And then so I did it. But that song is sick. Iglesias is a good dude. Hopefully no one is offended.”

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) August 14, 2024

Adams is with the A's now because he was traded to Oakland by the Mets near the end of spring training. He originally signed with New York as a free agent in November.

"OMG" is a song by Iglesias—who has a musical career under the stage name Candelita—that has been used by the Mets at home games when they hit a home run.

The Mets have also used the "OMG celebration—included in the music video for the song—when a big moment in a game goes their way.

It's unclear, despite Díaz's comment, what the Mets might be able to use against Adams if they get revenge on him with a big hit in a key spot in the remaining games in the series. He doesn't really have a celebration of his own that can be mocked.

We might find out because the A's and Mets play two more games at Citi Field on Wednesday and Thursday.

New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz has opted against appealing his 10-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball rules on pitchers' use of foreign substances.

ESPN's Jorge Castillo relayed the news from Mets manager Carlos Mendoza on Tuesday as the team was getting ready for a two-game home series against the crosstown rival New York Yankees.

"We want to move on from it," Mendoza said after a reporter asked why Díaz didn't appeal. "We don't want this cloud to be hanging over the team for too long. And we decided it was best."

Díaz was ejected before throwing a pitch prior to the ninth inning of the Mets' 5-2 road win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Crew chief Vic Carapazza tossed Díaz after a routine foreign substances check.

Edwin Diaz was ejected after umpires inspected his hands and glove before throwing a pitch to the Cubs in the 9th inning. pic.twitter.com/rXugw13udM

— ESPN (@espn) June 24, 2024

The ESPN broadcast (h/t Awful Announcing) appeared to show a dark brown substance on Díaz's thumb and fingers.

Díaz and Carapazza both gave their opinions on the matter afterward, with the closer claiming the substance was "rosin, sweat and dirt."

Crew chief Vic Carapazza said through a pool reporter that Edwin Díaz's hand was "extremely sticky" and "discolored."

"It definitely wasn’t rosin and sweat," Carapazza said. "We've checked thousands of these. I know what that feeling is."

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) June 24, 2024

An ejection for foreign substances mandates an automatic 10-game suspension since MLB's new policy was enacted three years ago.

Díaz will now sit through July 5, meaning he'll miss games against the New York Yankees (two), Houston Astros (three), Washington Nationals (four) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (one).

Mendoza told reporters that the team will "mix and match" when it comes to filling Díaz's spot in the interim.

"I'm pretty sure we're going to have to reshuffle some things here, but we just got to take it one game at a time," Mendoza said. "See where you're at bullpen-wise and then go from there. The good thing is we got depth. We got people with options and we'll get through it."

Notable options include Reed Garrett, Adam Ottavino, Drew Smith and Jake Diekman.

As expected, New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz received a 10-game suspension from MLB on Monday, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Diaz's suspension comes after he was ejected from Sunday night's game against the Chicago Cubs following a foreign substance check.

Diaz entered Sunday's game in the bottom of the ninth to close things out but was removed before he even threw a pitch. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the team's 5-2 win that crew chief Vic Carapazza said he had too much rosin on his hand. Carapazza asserted that it wasn't solely rosin that caused the issue.

"I touched his hand," Carapazza said in a pool report after the game. "Grabbed his hand. The substance was extremely sticky. Discolored ... it definitely wasn't rosin and sweat. We've checked thousands of these. I know what that feeling is. This was very sticky."

Diaz contended that he only had rosin, dirt and sweat on his hands, so the ejection came as a shock to him.

"I use the same thing, always," he said. "I rub rosin, sweat and I put my hand in the dirt a little bit so I can have some grip on the ball. ... I was really surprised because I didn't have anything on my hand, glove or belt. They always check everything."

Diaz has the opportunity to appeal his suspension, but this is a continuation of a disappointing season. After returning from a torn patellar tendon in his right knee that caused him to miss the entire 2023 season, he has a 4.70 ERA this year with just seven saves and four blown saves.

Without Diaz, the Mets will have to rely on the likes of relief pitchers Drew Smith, Reed Garrett, Adam Ottavino and Jake Diekman to make up for his production at the back end of the bullpen.

New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz was ejected from his team's road game against the Chicago Cubs Sunday following a foreign substance check from crew chief Vic Carapazza.

Edwin Diaz was ejected after umpires inspected his hands and glove before throwing a pitch to the Cubs in the 9th inning. pic.twitter.com/rXugw13udM

— ESPN (@espn) June 24, 2024

The Mets led 5-2 going into the bottom of the ninth. Díaz came on in relief of left-hander Reid Garrett to try to close the game, but he was ejected before throwing one pitch. Drew Smith then replaced Díaz on the mound.

Díaz said after the game he was "surprised" while denying he had anything besides rosin and sweat:

Edwin Díaz on his ejection: pic.twitter.com/9RH3py8sk6

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) June 24, 2024

The ejection comes with an automatic 10-game suspension, but Díaz has the right to an appeal.

After the game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Carapazza said he had too much rosin on his hand.

"They thought it was too much... The rules are the rules."

Carlos Mendoza speaks on Edwin Díaz's ejection: pic.twitter.com/bBV9dKw3yY

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 24, 2024

A zoomed-in shot on Díaz's right hand from the ESPN broadcast (h/t Awful Announcing) appeared to show a dark brown substance on his thumb and fingers.

Crew chief Vic Carapazza re Edwin Diaz being ejected tonight in the Mets/Cubs game after checking his hand: “It definitely wasn’t rosin and sweat. We’ve checked 1000’s of these. I know what that feeling is. This was very sticky.”

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 24, 2024

This has been a tough year for Díaz, who returned after missing all of 2023 with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. The year prior, Díaz made the All-Star Game and posted a 1.31 ERA. This season, Díaz has posted a 4.70 ERA over 23 games. He's made seven saves but blown four save opportunities.

His last three appearances went quite well, though, with a scoreless inning apiece to help win one-run games each time. Díaz registered a victory and two saves.

If Díaz misses the next 10 games, then he's set to miss two home contests against the New York Yankees, three more in Queens versus the Houston Astros, four at the Washington Nationals and the first matchup at the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 5.

A Díaz suspension would also mark the seventh time a pitcher has been given this 10-game sitdown since a new policy was introduced in June 2021. Three of them have been Mets, per Ryan Finkelstein of Locked on Mets.

Pretty insane that MLB has only suspended pitchers for sticky stuff seven times. Three of them have been Mets.

Max Scherzer, Drew Smith and Edwin Diaz. https://t.co/1qIMpOc3QU

— Ryan Finkelstein (@FinkelsteinRyan) June 24, 2024

As for Sunday's game, Smith got the first two out before shortstop Dansby Swanson singled. The Mets then brought in left-hander Jake Diekman, who struck out Patrick Wisdom to end the game.

Going forward, it's unclear who the closer will be, but Mendoza told reporters the Mets are "going to have to get creative." Notable options include Reed Garrett, Adam Ottavino, Smith, and Diekman.

After allowing eight earned runs in his last five appearances, New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz has landed on the injured list.

The Mets announced on Wednesday that Diaz has been placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder impingement.

Josh Walker has been called up from Triple-A to take Diaz's spot on the 26-man roster.

Diaz's season went south in a hurry. The two-time All-Star began the year looking like the closer who dominated hitters throughout the entire 2022 campaign. He had a 0.93 ERA, 14 strikeouts and four saves over 9.2 innings in his first 10 appearances.

In his last 10 appearances dating back to April 29, Diaz has a 9.58 ERA with 14 hits, 16 strikeouts and four homers allowed over 10.1 innings. He has blown four saves in his last eight games.

The low point for Diaz came on May 18 when he allowed four runs in the bottom of the ninth against the Miami Marlins to turn a 9-5 lead into a tie game. The Mets went on to lose the game in the 10th inning on Otto Lopez's walk-off single.

Diaz last pitched on May 25 against the San Francisco Giants when he blew his fourth save in a 7-2 loss.

Per Statcast metrics, Diaz still ranks in the 90th percentile or better in fastball velocity (97.0 mph), strikeout percentage (35.3) and whiff percentage (37.5).

The problem is when opponents do hit the ball, they are usually making quality contact. Diaz ranks in the 12th percentile in barrel percentage (10.6). He only allowed a 4.1 percent barrel rate in 2022.

Diaz missed the entire 2023 season after suffering a torn patellar tendon while celebrating Puerto Rico's victory over the Dominican Republic to reach the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.

The Mets signed Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract in November 2022 that remains the richest deal for a reliever in MLB history.

Adam Ottavino will likely move into the closer role for the Mets until Diaz can return. The right-hander has a 3.86 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 21 innings this season.

The New York Mets are sticking by closer Edwin Díaz despite some struggles in 2024.

Díaz blew his fourth save opportunity of the season on Saturday against the San Francisco Giants, with the Mets falling 7-2 despite leading 2-1 in the ninth inning. Despite this, it does not appear that Díaz will lose his role in the bullpen again.

"He's our closer," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN. "In order for us to win games and get to where we want to get to, he's got to pitch. And I felt like that was the right spot."

Mendoza continued by saying that he would not "hide" Díaz and would allow the reliever to work through the struggles.

"He's got to continue to pitch," Mendoza said. "My job is to continue to find lanes for him and we've got to fight through it. You can't hide him. He's got to go, he's got to pitch. He's too good of a pitcher and we're pretty confident that he'll turn it around."

---

Díaz was reportedly demoted from the closer role last week, although that situation was described as "fluid."

He has made 19 appearances in 2024, sporting a 1-1 record with a 5.21 ERA and 21 strikeouts. He has surrendered five home runs so far, which is more than he allowed in the last three seasons with the Mets.

His slow start is especially concerning because he missed the entire 2023 season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in the World Baseball Classic. This came just after he had signed a five-year, $102 million deal with the Mets after a sensational season in 2022.

He has not been that same pitcher thus far in 2024, and his struggles to lock down some victories for New York has played an impact in the team's start to the season. New York is 21-30 and sits in fourth place in the NL East.

The New York Mets are demoting closer Edwin Diaz and moving to a closer-by-committee approach moving forward.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Mets are making a move until Diaz "regains his confidence."

A two-time Reliever of the Year winner, Diaz has a 5.50 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 18 appearances this season, blowing three of his eight save attempts. He has as many blown saves already this season as he had in all of 2022.

The two-time All-Star gave up four runs in 0.1 innings in Saturday's loss to the Miami Marlins and acknowledged he could move out of the closer role.

"I'm open to everything," Diaz said. "I want to help my team to win. That's my main thing. If they want to talk to me about that and I feel good about it, I agree on it. I just want to win games in any position they put me."

Diaz missed the entire 2023 season with a patellar tendon injury in his knee, so it's understandable that he's a little rusty. His underlying numbers are still stellar, and if anything point to the fact he should just need a short boost in confidence before moving back to his closing role.

The Mets have dropped seven of their last 10 games overall to move to 20-25 on the season.