Edwin Diaz, the Mets’ All-Star closer, returned to action on Saturday after serving a 10-game suspension from Major League Baseball for having a foreign substance on his pitching hand.
Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth inning to secure a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, earning his eighth save of the season in 12 opportunities.
His outing began with a hit-by-pitch to Oneil Cruz, but Diaz regained his composure and retired the next two batters, including Andrew McCutchen, who grounded into a double play to end the game.
“I was a bit nervous initially,” Diaz admitted. “But once I started throwing strikes and stopped trying to be perfect, I settled in. After the hit by pitch, I focused on executing my pitches.”
During his suspension, Diaz was allowed to practice with the team before games but could not be in the clubhouse, dugout, or bullpen once games began.
The incident leading to Diaz’s suspension occurred on June 24 during a game against the Chicago Cubs, where he was ejected before throwing a pitch following an inspection of his glove and throwing hand by umpire Vic Carapazza.
“I put that day behind me,” Diaz said of his suspension. “I apologized to my teammates afterward. Today, I came back and did my job, and I’m focused on continuing to perform.”
Initially considering an appeal, Diaz ultimately decided against it.
“We didn’t want to escalate things with MLB,” Diaz explained. “After discussions with the front office and coaches, we chose to move forward. Sitting out was tough because I felt like I should have been out there.”
Despite accepting the suspension, Diaz maintains he did nothing wrong, using the same mixture of rosin, sweat, and dirt that he typically uses in every game.
