Mets' Mendoza: 'We're going to need' Diaz to extend playoff run
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza believes closer Edwin Díaz is vital to extending the team's surprising postseason run.
"In order for us to continue to get where we want to get, we're going to need him," he said, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.
"I've been saying that since May when he was struggling. And he always finds a way to get the job done, to go through those struggles."
Díaz earned a hard-fought save in New York's NLDS Game 4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. That effort came after a few weeks of struggles, including a rough outing in Game 2 of the NLDS.
The 30-year-old has faced 17 batters in the playoffs and walked five of them. But Mendoza believes Díaz's command issues are attributable to workload.
"I think there's a combination of a lot of things here in the past week, where we've been riding him pretty hard," the manager said. "But the one thing from him is he always wants the baseball. He wants to be in those situations. He wants to be in those moments, and he's our guy."
Díaz recorded 20 saves with a 3.52 ERA in 53 2/3 regular-season innings after missing the entire 2023 campaign with a torn patellar tendon.
The Mets inked Díaz to a five-year, $102-million deal last offseason just before he got hurt during the World Baseball Classic.
Game 1 of the NLCS is scheduled for Sunday.