The New York Mets might not be favorites to win the NL East division as they were this time of the year in 2023, but they could be sneaky good in 2024.
Very few people expect them to be playoff contenders, but they netted some excellent prospects in the last few months and still have a pretty solid foundation.
They will also have a crucial part of their roster healthy and ready to rock when Opening Day rolls around: closer Edwin Diaz.
Diaz missed the entire 2023 campaign with a torn patellar tendon, but after surgery and a long rehab, he had his first game action in uniform this week and looked fantastic.
Diaz, however, will leave camp.
Don’t worry, he will return in no time, and it’s not injury-related.
“Edwin Díaz will leave camp for a couple days to be with his wife, who is due to give birth this week. Shouldn’t affect his schedule much, other than you won’t see him in upcoming games,” Mets insider Anthony DiComo tweeted.
Edwin Díaz will leave camp for a couple days to be with his wife, who is due to give birth this week. Shouldn’t affect his schedule much, other than you won’t see him in upcoming games.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 14, 2024
As DiComo tweets, Diaz’s throwing schedule will remain largely unchanged, and he is still on pace to be ready for Opening Day.
The Mets badly missed him in 2023: he posted a 1.31 ERA with 118 strikeouts in just 62 frames the year before, adding 32 saves to the stat line.
He is, when healthy and in a groove, the single most dominant pitcher in the league considering his obvious strikeout power and low ERA.
With him manning the ninth inning, the Mets have a chance to return to the promised land.
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