Been told of his role
Tries to bounce back
safety net should Diaz melt down. The right-hander is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut in the coming days after recovering from a left pinky toe fracture. Lugo has been open about his preference to one day become a starter, and the Mets dangled that possibility in the offseason. But he’s ready to pitch in any role the Mets ask.
“I haven’t put much thought into it,” said Lugo on pitching in the ninth inning. “If I’m thinking about that then I’m not focusing on executing pitches. That’s my main focus, especially with this foot. Whatever it takes to command my pitches like I have in the past.”
Diaz posted a career-high 5.59 ERA in 58 innings last season. He wants to get back to his final year with the Mariners, when he registered a brilliant 1.96 ERA with 124 strikeouts across 73 1/3 innings.
In an attempt to return to 2018 form, Diaz has spent the spring asking teammates to provide feedback on his pitches. It’s the first time he implemented this approach, after spending the offseason adjusting his mechanics. He wanted to try something new to make sure he’s executing his offspeed pitches and the location of his fastballs.
With roughly one month to go until Opening Day, Diaz said he feels good about his slider. His next goal in spring training is to continue pitching well and showing his coaching staff that he’s ready for the regular season.
Whether that includes preparing to be the team’s fulltime closer remains to be seen.