New York Mets fans are relieved to see Edwin Diaz retaking the mound after missing the 2023 Major League Baseball due to a patellar tendon tear. In 23 games this season, Diaz finished 12 games and earned seven saves.
However, he faces a ten-game suspension after crew chief Vic Carapazza discovered that Diaz was using a foreign substance on his pitching hand against the Chicago Cubs. After Carapazza touched Diaz's hand, he found it covered in a sticky, discolored substance. While there were no foreign substances in other parts of Diaz's body, the one discovered in his hands was enough for an ejection.
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
Diaz can appeal the ruling or let it play out. Meanwhile, Drew Smith and Jake Diekman combined to pitch a scoreless ninth inning in Diaz's absence, securing the Mets' ninth victory in their last 11 games.
The suspension is another setback to a season of struggle for the two-time All-Star. In addition to his low save rate, he has a 4.70 ERA, the second-worst rate in his career. Before his knee injury, Diaz had consecutive 32-save seasons and had a 1.31 ERA in 2022.
In addition to his 2022 All-Star nod, he earned the same achievement in 2018 when he had an MLB-leading 57 saves, a 1.96 ERA, and a 0.791 WHIP for the Seattle Mariners.
-Lance Fernandez