Edwin Diaz’s first season back from a torn patellar tendon in his knee has been far from smooth.
The New York Mets closer is one of MLB’s best pitchers when healthy, but he has struggled – particularly in recent games – to the point in which his role as the ninth-inning stopper was starting to be questioned.
The Mets revealed an update on his health, one that will send him to the shelf for the next 15 days.
“RHP Edwin Díaz has been placed on the 15-Day IL with a right shoulder impingement. LHP Josh Walker has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse,” the team announced on Wednesday, via Twitter.
RHP Edwin Díaz has been placed on the 15-Day IL with a right shoulder impingement.
LHP Josh Walker has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
— New York Mets (@Mets) May 29, 2024
There are two theories here.
One, the pitcher is really hurt and that helps explain his recent performance: he has a 5.40 ERA for the season and has allowed eight earned runs in his last five games, blowing save chances left and right.
And two, this might be what people call a “phantom IL designation” to give the hurler a chance to reset, find his mechanics, and work on some things for a couple of weeks.
We probably won’t ever know the truth, but the fact is that Diaz will be out for the next two weeks (potentially more) and will get a chance to get healthy or work on what’s affecting him and his performance.
He is still 30, in the prime of his physical abilities, so it’s unlikely he just “lost it.”
In all likelihood, he will be fine eventually.
Shoulder impingements in themselves aren’t a death sentence to a pitcher, but could potentially bring more complications if they are not diagnosed in time.
We will probably know more details in short order but Diaz won’t be available for the Mets at the moment.
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