There are not many people who know Edwin Diaz, the pitcher and the person, better than Alexis Diaz.
The star Reds closer said he talks with his brother three or four times a day. He was there when Edwin was injured in March, and he has followed his brother’s climb back to the mound mostly from afar.
Sure, Alexis might be biased, but he knows when his big brother is throwing well and knows when his big brother is throwing poorly. The recent video clips of his brother back on the rubber have told Alexis that Edwin is beginning to turn back into the pitcher Mets fans grew to love.
“Especially this past bullpen [session] that he had a couple of days ago — it looks like the pitcher from the past,” Alexis Diaz said through interpreter Jorge Merlos on Friday. “He seems like he’s really getting close to where he could be.
“Just like the pitcher that he was beforehand.”
Alexis spoke before he recorded the final five outs of a 5-3 Reds win at Citi Field and after Edwin visited his hotel Friday morning to catch up with his brother.
The two are close and were thrilled for the opportunity to play together during the World Baseball Classic, which ended in horror.
In the minutes after Team Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic, Edwin jumped around and felt his right knee buckle. He collapsed with what was diagnosed as a torn patellar tendon.
Their father, Edwin Sr., told ESPN that Alexis blamed himself for the injury, believing his hand on Edwin’s back during the celebration had caused his brother to crumple.
Alexis only gained peace of mind when he rewatched the footage.
“We looked at the video afterwards of what happened,” Alexis said, “and sure enough, I wasn’t the cause of it.”
Edwin helped clear his brother’s mind, then helped fill it with notes that helped turn Alexis into an All-Star. The Reds closer has been nearly as dominant as his brother was as the Mets’ closer last season. Alexis recorded his 37th save Friday and owns a 2.10 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 64 ¹/₃ innings.
Even in the biggest moments, Edwin always seems calm on the mound. He has been preaching that same composure to his little brother, who is in the middle of a playoff race.
“It’s all about how to control your emotions when you’re up on the mound and how to compete against these batters, how to attack the zone,” the 26-year-old Alexis said of Edwin’s advice. “Just those small little things that’ll get you prepared for the postseason as well, because he’s been in those situations before, and he knows how to deal with those. So he’s been telling me all these things just to prepare myself for the future.”
Edwin is hoping in his own immediate future is a big league game. When the Mets head to Florida to play the Marlins in a series beginning Monday, the righty is expected to head to Port St. Lucie where he will throw off a mound at the Mets’ complex.
There is still a chance that six months after surgery, Diaz pitches in a major league game. His brother is expecting him to look like Edwin Diaz again.
“He’s just that type of person,” Alexis said. “He knows that he has to do the work enough to get back to where he should be.”
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