NEW YORK – The New York Mets, mired in a nightmare season spiraling out of control, were walloped with a one-two punch minutes apart Wednesday afternoon.
First, the club placed struggling closer Edwin Diaz on the injured list with a shoulder impingement moments before first pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Then came the second blow: All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso exiting the series finale in the first inning when he was hit on the right hand by a pitch.
Alonso took a 93-mph fastball from Dodgers left-hander James Paxton checking his swing, instantly falling to his left knee upon impact. He walked down to first base but exited the trainer with a trainer moments later.
A free agent this winter, the 29-year-old Alonso has been the best hitter for an anemic Mets offense with a team-leading 12 home runs and a .758 OPS. He is a prime candidate for the Mets to trade by the July 30 deadline should president of baseball operations David Stearns choose to sell, though a significant hand injury could complicate the endeavor.
The Mets entered Wednesday 22-32, having lost seven of their last eight games.
“Nothing’s changed with Pete’s situation,” Stearns said Tuesday. “Our goal is, on a daily basis, to help this team succeed as much as possible so we can win as many games as possible.”
Díaz has been one of a few core veterans underperforming for the Mets this season.
The two-time All-Star was charged with one earned run in his first 10 appearances this season before April 29, but it’s been a disaster since then. In his last 10 games, Díaz has surrendered 11 runs on 14 hits in 10 1/3 innings.
He blew his fourth save in three weeks Saturday against the San Francisco Giants, pitching on the second day of a back-to-back after Mets manager Carlos Mendoza chose not to have him pitch during a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians.
Afterwards, Díaz insisted he was encouraged by the performance and didn’t hint at a physical issue. But he didn’t pitch in the Mets’ doubleheader Tuesday. Instead, Adam Ottavino given the ninth inning for a save opportunity in the first game and squandered the Mets’ 2-1 lead.
Díaz, 30, signed a five-year, $102 million contract – the richest ever for a reliever — after a historic 2022 season. He then tore his ACL celebrating a win for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic last March, ending his 2023 season before it started.
