Edwin Diaz
AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn

The New York Mets are confident closer Edwin Díaz will undergo a resurgence despite struggling ways this season.

If there’s one issue the New York Mets haven’t been able to overcome this year, it’s their closer Edwin Díaz. Thus far in 2019, Díaz is posting a record of 1-6 on the mound with a 5.44 ERA and a 1.489 WHIP. He’s also struck out 75 batters and walked 19.

The troubles continued on Friday night in Kansas City, when manager Mickey Callaway put in Díaz in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded and no outs. Díaz proceeded to allow a walk and a base hit, which let in two runs and extended the Royals lead to 4-1, the eventual final score. Despite all these persisting struggles, the Mets, however, believe their closer’s resurgence is right around the corner.

“I think we’re this close,” Mets pitching coach Phil Regan said of Díaz’s pending improvement, per Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Regan also touched upon what the staff is working on with Díaz, en route to getting him back to the level of play he was at during his All-Star 2018 season with the Seattle Mariners.

“We’re working on a few things trying to get his slider back,” Regan said. “That’s the main thing we want to get back, and a quality slider. His fastball is pretty good right now and his direction is pretty good. I don’t know if they are sitting on [the fastball], because he’s still throwing his slider, but they are not the quality sliders we want him to have. But I think we’re close.”

The Mets finish out their three-game series against the Royals on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. ET before they head back to Queens for a nine-game homestand. After Friday night’s win, they’re sporting a 63-60 record, sitting 8.5 games back in the National League East division. New York additionally sits 2.0 games back in the NL Wild Card standings.

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Ryan Honey is a staff writer and host of the Wide Right Podcast.