Díaz throws 'pen session, optimistic about late-season return

NEW YORK -- Mets closer Edwin Díaz expressed continued optimism on Monday for a 2023 return, based on the significant recent steps he’s taken to rehab a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.

Díaz, who threw his first full bullpen session Sunday following multiple less intensive efforts from the mound earlier this month, said he reached 93-95 mph with ease. Additional velocity should come as Díaz continues to round into shape and pitch in more competitive situations.

“Right now, I’m feeling great,” Díaz said, speaking to New York reporters for the first time since April. “My goal is to come back this season and throw one or two games or whatever. That’s how I’m looking. In my workouts and everything, my goal is to come back as soon as I can. As of right now, we are on a positive note.”

With less than five weeks remaining in the season, the question is whether Díaz will have enough time to achieve his goal. For the first few weeks after surgery to repair his ligament, Díaz could not walk without the aid of crutches. Eventually, he regained his mobility and began throwing off flat ground. Díaz’s progress over the last portion of his rehab has been more tangible; he recently graduated from the base of a mound to the top of it, throwing about 45 feet to a standing catcher.

Sunday marked yet another advancement, as Díaz operated like he would during a game -- pitching to a catcher behind the plate, trying to throw strikes. Díaz’s goal during that session was to reach 93-95 mph with his fastball, “and I was hitting [it] easy.”

“We are feeling great,” Díaz added. “The progress has been perfect. We are checking a lot of boxes, and we feel really good right now.”

Last year’s National League Reliever of the Year, Díaz tore his knee ligament while celebrating Team Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic in March. He says he has no regrets from the incident, which he views as a fluke that could have happened anywhere. From the moment it occurred, Díaz began looking forward, undergoing a quick surgery and setting his sights on rehab.

Although the typical recovery timetable for an injury of this nature is eight months, doctors told Díaz he could potentially return in as few as six. That would bring him to late September, which remains a goal of his. If Díaz is fully healthy, manager Buck Showalter has said, there is no reason for the Mets not to let him pitch.

To the contrary, having those data points would be useful both for offseason evaluations and Díaz’s own confidence.

“I want to finish the season on a positive note,” Díaz said. “I want to try to come back and help this team to win this year. But if not, I will work out hard in the offseason to come ready next year.

“I know my stuff is there. The main thing for me is how my knee is good, healthy. I feel healthy right now. Pitching in a game, I just want a positive note to go home and relax and work hard for the next year.”