Cincinnati Reds closer Alexis Diaz said his brother, New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz (knee), is doing well in his rehab from knee surgery. "He's doing really well. He's been going out and throwing 125 to 150 feet every day. He's been recovering pretty fast. He's a true athlete and really can recover quickly, so I hope to see him out there really soon." Edwin Diaz said early in June that he remained hopeful that he could return to the Mets bullpen at some point later this year, but that probably is a long shot to actually transpire after the 29-year-old suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating in the World Baseball Classic this spring. Even if Diaz were able to return at the tail end of the season, he wouldn't have much time to provide any real fantasy value.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz (knee), who tore the patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating a win for Team Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic on March 15, thinks he can return this season. "If everything keeps going how it's going, we've got a chance to pitch," Diaz said. "The trainers and doctors will decide, but I feel great. Let's see what's coming for us." General manager Billy Eppler initially said that Diaz would be around eight months, but occasionally athletes can return in six months. A six-month return would enable Diaz to rejoin the team in mid-September, which would leave him very little time to make any kind of fantasy impact in 2023. The 29-year-old remains a ways off from a potential return. For the foreseeable future, David Robertson and Adam Ottavino will continue to share save chances in Queens.

Is there a chance that New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz (knee) could return to pitch this year? "If everything goes well, I think I can be back quicker than eight months. I might throw this year," Diaz said. The hard-throwing 29-year-old right-handed reliever had surgery to fix a torn patellar tendon that he suffered while pitching for Team Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic, and it's likely that we won't see him at all for the Mets in 2023. However, Diaz thinks there might be a chance he could return in October if the Mets are in the postseason. He's making good progress so far, but it's still more of a pipe dream that Diaz will be pitching later this year. For now, David Robertson is the team's favorite for saves.

The New York Mets will be reimbursed for closer Edwin Diaz's (knee) salary during his time on the injured list this year after he suffered a torn patellar tendon at the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night, according to league sources. MLB has insurance in place to protect teams if their players get injured in the WBC. If Diaz doesn't return in 2023, the league's insurance would cover his entire 2023 salary of $18.65 million, but it's unclear if Diaz's salary will still count against the luxury tax. The 28-year-old had successful surgery on Thursday and is expected to be out for at least eight months, so he'll most likely miss all of this year. With Diaz now on the shelf, David Robertson and Brooks Raley are now the most likely options to save games for the Mets in 2023.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz (knee) will undergo surgery on Thursday to fix a right patellar tendon injury, according to general manager Billy Eppler. Diaz will miss at least eight months most likely. It means that the 28-year-old All-Star closer will miss the entire 2023 season after getting injured while celebrating Team Puerto Rico's World Baseball Classic victory over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night. It's a huge blow for the Mets and their bullpen, as Diaz is the most dominant high-leverage reliever in the game. Fantasy managers should obviously avoid him in drafts this spring. David Robertson, who has well over 100 career saves, and Brooks Raley are the mostly likely closing candidates for the Mets now that Diaz will most likely miss all of this year.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz (knee) will have an MRI exam on his injured right knee on Thursday morning, but initial indications are that Diaz's injury is "bad," in the words of one source. People briefed on the situation fear that Diaz could be lost for a significant period, perhaps for the entire 2023 season after he injured his knee celebrating Team Puerto Rico's win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night. If you are drafting on Thursday, it would probably be best to avoid selecting Diaz. It would be a huge blow to lose one of, if not the best, closer in baseball for the entire season. With Diaz hurt, David Robertson and Brooks Raley figure to be the primary closing options for the Mets this year.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz was named the 2022 recipient of the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award on Tuesday. Diaz won the American League version of the away back in 2018 with the Seattle Mariners, and he joins Craig Kimbrel as the only players to win the award in each league. The hard-throwing right-hander had a ridiculous 118 strikeouts in just 62 innings last season, resulting in an average of 17.1 strikeouts per nine innings. It's the highest single-season rate by any pitcher in major-league history with at least 60 innings pitched. The Mets should be one of the better teams in baseball again in 2023, making Diaz an elite fantasy closer.

The New York Mets and closer Edwin Diaz agreed to a five-year, $102 million deal on Sunday, pending a physical. His $102 million deal is a new record for a relief pitcher, beating Aroldis Chapman's $86 million deal with the New York Yankees. Diaz will receive a $12 million signing bonus and an opt-out clause after three years of the deal. The contract also includes a full no-trade clause through the opt-out year. The 28-year-old hard-throwing right-hander is deserving of the deal, as he was one of the most dominant relief pitchers in 2022, posting a career-low 1.31 ERA (0.90 FIP), a 0.84 WHIP, 32 saves and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched. On a Mets team that should be very good again in 2023, Diaz will be a high-end fantasy closer in 2023 yet again.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his 32nd save of the season in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Nationals in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Diaz entered the game in the eighth inning up by two with two outs and a runner on second. He got the third out of the inning on a strikeout and stayed on to pitch the ninth, delivering a 1-2-3 inning with no strikeouts. The 28-year-old has been one of fantasy's most reliable closers once again in 2022, converting all but three save opportunities with a 1.31 ERA and a 17.13 K/9 rate. He is currently tied for the seventh-most saves in baseball, but his strikeout potential is far and away greater than any other closer.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz earned a four-out save in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Brewers. Diaz came in to pitch up by two with two outs in the eighth inning and a runner on first. He got the final out of the inning on a strikeout and then delivered a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two more strikeouts. Diaz has been one of fantasy's top closers once again this season, converting 31 of 34 save opportunities with a stellar 1.40 ERA and 17.07 K/9 rate. While some of fantasy's premier closers have faltered this season, Diaz will remain a top option for the rest of this season and in the 2023 season as well.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz pitched well in an exciting 6-3 win over the Yankees Tuesday. Diaz came into the game in the eighth inning with two outs and a runner on first with a two-run lead, striking out Joey Gallo to end the half-inning. He stayed in to pitch the ninth inning, allowing a leadoff single before getting another strikeout, allowing Aaron Judge to reach on his own throwing error, and then getting the final two outs on strikeouts. Diaz has been a fantasy stud once again this season and now has 22 saves to go with a 1.55 ERA.

New York Mets All-Star closer Edwin Diaz, who will become a free agent after this season, said he wants to remain with the team. "I would love to stay [a Met]," Diaz said. The 28-year-old right-hander has been one of the best late-inning relievers in baseball this year and was named to his second All-Star team by going 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 20 saves in 37 1/3 innings pitched in the first half. He also has a career-high 51.7% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate. Diaz is averaging two strikeouts per inning pitched, which is incredible. Fantasy managers can keep Diaz locked into their starting lineups moving forward.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his 19th save of the season in convincing fashion in Monday's 4-1 win over the Braves. Diaz entered the game to protect a three-run lead against the heart of the Braves' order and sent them down 1-2-3 with three strikeouts. Diaz has been a high-end fantasy closing option once again this season, converting all but three saves with a 1.73 ERA and a stellar 18.08 K/9 rate.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz closed out the team's 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday to earn his 10th save of the year. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out two. Diaz was charged with his second blown save of the year in his previous appearance this past Thursday, so it was nice to see him rebound in a strong way. The 28-year-old has a 2.00 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP on the year to go along with a stellar 4.3 K/BB rate.

New York Mets reliever Edwin Diaz recorded his eighth save of the season on Saturday in the Mets' 5-4 win over the Mariners at Citifield. Facing his former team for the first time, Diaz struck out the side in the ninth inning. Diaz has been excellent to begin the 2022 campaign. In 15 games, Diaz has converted eight of nine save opportunities and has posted a 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and recorded 27 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched. He remains an elite relief option in all formats and should be active on all fantasy rosters.

New York Mets reliever Edwin Diaz recorded his sixth save of the season on Thursday as his club erased a 7-1 deficit in the ninth to win the ball game 8-7. The right-hander handled his 18-pitch frame with ease by retiring the side in order, which included picking up two strikeouts to give him 21 K through 12 IP on the year. Diaz has been sharp so far in 2022 by allowing just two earned runs and converting all but one of his save opportunities to date. His job is safe as the closer for the first-place Mets, making him a sure-fire top-five closer the rest of the way.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his fifth save of the season in Tuesday's Game 1 5-4 win over the Braves. Diaz came in to pitch the ninth up by one. He struck the first two hitters out, allowed a single, and got a groundout to end the game. The 28-year-old has now converted five of six save opportunities with a 1.64 ERA, 19 strikeouts, and five walks over 11 innings pitched this season. He has been one of fantasy's top closers over the past several seasons and has performed exactly as anticipated so far this season.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his second save of the season in Monday's come-from-behind 5-2 win over the Cardinals. The Mets were down 2-0 heading into the top of the ninth inning but were able to rally for five runs, setting the stage for Diaz. He pitched a relatively clean ninth inning with no hits, a walk, and two strikeouts to seal the deal. The 28-year-old has converted two of three save opportunities this season with a 2.25 ERA, 14 strikeouts, and four walks through eight innings pitched. The saves may not be there yet, but the overall performance has been, so fantasy managers should be patient and keep their trust in Diaz.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his first save of the season in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Phillies. Diaz came in to pitch the ninth inning against the top of the Phillies lineup. It wasn't the cleanest outing, as he did allow two singles, but those singles came in between three strikeouts to seal the game. It was the 28-year-old's first appearance since returning from the bereavement list, and it was nice to see him get into the save column. Diaz has been one of fantasy baseball's top closing options for much of his career, and this season should be no different if the Mets team can play as well as they look on paper.