WATCH: New York Mets Closer Edwin Says He Might Be Able to Pitch This Year
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz suffered a full-thickness tear of his patellar tendon in his right knee during the World Baseball Classic and appeared set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.
But speaking to reporters for the first time since the injury, Diaz suggested that he might be able to pitch this season for the Mets, who won 101 games last year and were eliminated in the Wild Card round of the playoffs by the San Diego Padres.
You can see his comments below:
"I'm feeling great. We are working hard... everything is going in the right direction right now with the team and the doctors say I'm doing great, so I'm really happy."
Diaz added: "They want me to get better with my knee and then we'll see how I'm responding to my training... if the tests are coming back good, I might throw this year. As of right now, my knee is doing great, they are really happy, so we are in a good situation for that."
The 29-year-old reliever is a huge loss for the Mets this season, as he recorded 32 saves a season ago with a dominant 1.31 ERA.
He started his career in the minor leagues as a starting pitcher with the Seattle Mariners but quickly became an excellent reliever, making the AL all-star team in 2018 when he led the league with 57 saves.
He signed a five-year contract before the season worth $102 million.
The Mets are currently using David Robertson, Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley in end of game situations.
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