PORT ST. LUCIE — Trumpets blared, fastballs sizzled and sliders darted for the dirt, marking the return of the Mets’ All-Star closer on Monday.
Edwin Diaz looked as dominant as last seen on a major league mound, striking out the side in the fifth inning of the Mets’ exhibition game against the Marlins at Clover Park.
In his first game action since tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee at the World Baseball Classic last March 15, Diaz entered to the familiar sound of Timmy Trumpet’s “Narco” and threw 14 pitches. In succession, Jesus Sanchez, Avisail Garcia and Jon Berti struck out.
“I knew I would be really good,” Diaz said. “But three strikeouts in the first outing was amazing.”
Controlling emotions was a challenge as he jogged in from the bullpen behind the left-field fence.
“It’s a spring training game, but I treated this game like the regular season,” Diaz said.
The right-hander averaged 97.2 mph with his four-seam fastball, throwing it six times. Diaz threw eight sliders — using it as the strikeout pitch on all three batters.
Diaz spent last season rehabbing his knee after undergoing surgery to repair the patellar tendon.
The injury occurred during an on-field celebration in Miami after Diaz recorded the final out for Team Puerto Rico against the Dominican Republic.
Diaz’s 2022 season ranked among the most electric by a closer in major league history.
In 61 appearances that year he pitched to a 1.31 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 62 innings with 32 saves. That performance led to him receiving a five-year contract worth $102 million.
The Mets moved David Robertson to closer in Diaz’s absence and although the veteran was solid in that spot, the team was left shorthanded in the setup role.
“I was one of the biggest pitchers in the bullpen and then I wasn’t there,” Diaz said. “The guys did their best and they battled every single night, but I think this year will be a really good year for us as a bullpen. We have got [Jorge] Lopez, [Jake] Diekman … we have got other good guys that will help us and I think we will win a lot of games.”
But Diaz isn’t about to predict what kind of numbers he might deliver.
“As long as I stay healthy I will have a lot of saves, so we are looking forward to [making] the playoffs — that is the first goal as a team,” he said. “Personally, I want to help the team to win. If they give me the ball in the ninth inning in a save situation I will accomplish it.”
As Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza saw enough of Diaz in the Subway Series to understand the right-hander’s significance.
“Nasty — lights out,” the Mets manager said. “It’s a different ballgame, especially when you are in the opposite dugout. He’s a game changer and I am happy that he’s on our side now.”
Adam Ottavino recalled the sadness he felt watching on TV as Diaz got carried off the field last March. It was clear then that Diaz’s season, if not over, would be severely compromised.
“I felt a pit in my stomach,” Ottavino said. “He’s one of the best in the world and it sucks to deprive everybody of watching that and just sucks to deprive our team of having that weapon. I am just happy that his rehab process seems to be over.”
This wasn’t the first time Diaz heard the trumpets blare this spring — his entrance music was played before his two appearances in minor league games on the backfields. The first time he heard it, Diaz was caught off guard.
“I was laughing,” Diaz said.