Edwin Diaz remained in the bullpen Friday night, watching as Seth Lugo recorded his first save of the season.
By Saturday, Diaz should reclaim his role — for now, at least.
Less than 24 hours after the Mets’ closer was drilled by a line drive on his left big toe and limped out of Citi Field, Diaz said he felt “great,” and declared himself ready to return after warming up Friday. Manager Mickey Callaway, however, determined Diaz needed rest more than a chance for his 23rd save.
“Since it’s his landing foot, and that’s the foot he has to brace off of and pop up on, I think we decided let’s give him one more day,” Callaway said before the Mets beat the Pirates 6-3.
When the Manny Machado liner collided with Diaz’s foot, the closer believed a stint on the injured list might not be far off.
“I was kind of just thinking, hopefully nothing was broken,” Diaz said. “I needed to get out of there to get it checked out. … The moment the ball hit me, it hurt a lot.
“Thank God it was nothing worse.”
Now, the 25-year-old waits to see whether he will be traded for the second time in less than eight months. Since arriving in December as Brodie Van Wagenen’s prized offseason acquisition, the once-dominant Mariners closer has struggled with a 4.81 ERA, and has been reported as a candidate to be dealt before the July 31 trade deadline.
“This is a business. I’m aware that this is a job, like any other,” Diaz said. “If they want to trade me, they can trade me. if they want to keep me, they can keep me. I’m just here to play the best game I can possibly play.”
Jeff McNeil and Wilson Ramos each hit their 10th home run, giving the team seven players with double-digit homers. … McNeil, who put the Mets ahead with a three-run homer in the third, is batting .397 (27-for-68) on the first pitch of at-bats. … Ramos has hit at least 10 home runs for the seventh straight season, making him the only catcher in the majors to do so.
Amed Rosario went 1-for-3 with a triple, and is batting .364 over his past 15 games. … Lugo has thrown 10 ²/₃ scoreless innings in his past 10 games. … Luis Avilan hasn’t allowed a run in eight games (5 ¹/₃ innings) since returning from a two-month stint on the injured list.
Walker Lockett was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. The pitcher holds a 7.82 ERA in three starts with the Mets this season.
When Jay Payton watched Mariano Rivera get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as the first-ever player to unanimously earn the honor, the former Mets center fielder felt even better about his 12-year career.
Payton, who was joined by Butch Huskey for the Mets’ Alumni Weekend at Citi Field, was one of just two players to homer off the Yankees closer in his 96 postseason appearances, during Game 2 of the 2000 World Series.
“I’m on my Facebook page, telling everybody I own him,” Payton joked. “That’s pretty special when I see him do that, knowing I had a little piece of history. … That’s my little claim to fame, I guess, my little trivia question. … That’s definitely one of my biggest memories.”
