GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- In his bid to hang on to his job as the Reds’ closer -- let alone a big league roster spot -- Alexis Díaz pitched a scoreless top of the seventh against the White Sox in the club's 8-5 loss on Friday. But it wasn’t an inning without difficulty.

Díaz threw 20 pitches with only 10 strikes and went to a 2-0 count vs. his first three of four batters.

"Saying that, his ball had a ton of life to it. That part was good," Reds manager Terry Francona said.

The outing began oddly, as Díaz experienced a malfunction with his PitchCom device and was charged with a pitch clock violation.

Diaz allowed an infield single to his second batter, Brooks Baldwin, before the runner was caught stealing. Third batter Bryan Ramos was in a 3-0 count when he was hit by a pitch. Díaz finished with a fly out to center field.

“I feel really good," Díaz said through translator Jorge Merlos. "These last two outings have been better than the ones that I’ve thrown beforehand, specifically the one at the Minor League game.”

Díaz's previous outing came on Tuesday in a Minor League game, and he had two walks and two strikeouts over one scoreless inning. It was during his previous Cactus League game last Saturday vs. the Royals where the right-hander really struggled as he allowed five runs on three hits and three walks over one-third of an inning.

Pitching coach Derek Johnson has been working with Díaz to get his command back.

“I’ve just had a lot of good conversations with D.J. We’ve been in constant communication, and he’s putting me back in my better mental state of health," Díaz said. "I think those have really helped out with these last two innings that I’ve had.”

Díaz, 28, got a later start pitching in games because of a minor twinge in his hamstring, but he got past it quickly, and it hasn't factored the rest of camp.

“Coming into this Spring Training and these last outings, I’ve never thrown as hard as I’ve thrown in my other Spring Trainings," Díaz said. "I feel really good. I feel really healthy. Physically, I feel good. The hamstring, there’s no issues. I’m feeling great.”

Díaz is among three relievers in the mix for the final two bullpen spots with Graham Ashcraft and non-roster pitcher Ian Gibaut. He is expected to pitch in one more spring game, probably Sunday, and he could also get work on Tuesday when the Reds face a team of their prospects in Dayton, Ohio.

A 2023 All-Star, Díaz saved 28 games in 32 chances last season, but there were command issues and often struggles to throw strikes. His ERA increased from 3.07 in '23 to 3.99 in 2024 over 60 appearances and 56 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, his strikeout rate decreased from 11.5 K's per nine innings in 2023 to 8.8 in ‘24.

If Díaz doesn't close, Francona has multiple options with closing experience in offseason acquisitions Scott Barlow and Taylor Rogers as well as Emilio Pagán. Tony Santillan and even Ashcraft -- who was just switched out of competing for the rotation on Thursday -- could also be possibilities.

Should Díaz get optioned to Triple-A Louisville, the Reds would still owe him the full $4.5 million he will earn this season because he was eligible for arbitration.

“I’ve always been a person that I’m going to go out there, and whatever inning they throw me in, I will be out there and doing the best of my ability to get the job done," Díaz said. "I’m not thinking about, ‘Are they going to change me out of the closer role?’ All I’m thinking [about] is just going out there and giving the best of my ability to help the team win that day.”