CINCINNATI — Edwin Diaz and his brother, Cincinnati Reds closer Alexis, have a bet going this season. The brother that records the fewest saves in the six-game season series between the Mets and Reds has to pay for family dinner during the offseason.
So far, big brother Edwin is in the lead with one save. Alexis pitched Saturday but not in a save situation.
“I told him, ‘You’re in the big leagues now, you’re making money so you should take us out,’” Diaz joked Friday night after recording his first save of the season.
Much of the Diaz family is in Cincinnati this weekend to see the two brothers square off against one another. It’s a proud moment for the family, especially given the circumstances. Edwin is back in action after missing last season with a knee injury, and Alexis has finally established himself as a bonafide big leaguer after years of toiling in the minor leagues.
It took a long time for the younger Diaz to reach the big leagues, finally making it at 25 years old in 2022. But when the Mets came to Cincinnati that season, Alexis was on the injured list with biceps tendinitis. He was activated just two days after the series concluded. When the Reds visited the Mets the following month, Alexis didn’t pitch.
This weekend marked the first time the brothers pitched in the same series. They’re doing their best to support each other while also helping their teams win.
“It’s my brother so I want him to be good, but at the same, he’s playing our team,” Edwin said. “It’s kind of tough. If he’s not pitching, I want my team to win. But if he’s pitching, I just stay and see what happens. We still want to root for each other.”
Growing up in Puerto Rico, the two-year age difference was just enough to get them placed on different teams. In the same locker room for the first time at last year’s World Baseball Classic, Edwin noticed some key differences between the two.
“I like to joke around a little bit and he’s more serious than me,” Edwin said. “I’m a little more friendly maybe, and he’s more serious about his job.”
At the time, Edwin was a superstar and Alexis was an emerging face. It’s easy to keep things light and loose when you’ve just signed a record contract and it’s probably natural for a player still trying to establish himself to be more serious and diligent. But this is a common sibling dynamic and Edwin points to their parents.
“He’s a lot more like my mom,” Edwin said. “My father is more friendly, like me.”
When it comes to pitching, that’s where Edwin sees similarities. They both throw the same two pitches, a four-seam fastball and a slider. The four-seamer has deadly movement and the bottom falls out of the slider. Alexis has a few more inches of vertical drop on his slider while Edwin has more horizontal break on his fastball.
They have the same delivery using the same mechanical movement pattern. In one of their offseason workouts over the winter, Alexis saw something different about Edwin’s mechanics. He was able to diagnose his brother’s mechanical slip and help him fix it.
“I was struggling,” Edwin said. “He helped me get out of it.”
The parents of Edwin and Alexis, Edwin St. and Beatrice, made the trip to Cincinnati, joining Alexis’ wife and two kids. Edwin’s wife, Nashaly, stayed in New York to take care of their newborn son, Lucas, and their other two sons stayed back as well. Even more family members will be in attendance in New York for their family dinner.
“As of right now, I’m in first,” Edwin said. “Let’s see how we finish.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Right-hander Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder impingement) was shut down from throwing for three days to receive a cortisone injection. He’s back to throwing and the Mets expect him to be back when he’s eligible next weekend.
“He should be ramping up here pretty soon,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “He’s feeling good. I anticipate it will be a quick ramp-up process.”
Right-hander Tylor Megill is still shut down and the Mets will reassess his status in a few more days.
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo returned to the lineup as a DH after sitting out Friday with hamstring soreness. Catcher Francisco Alvarez received a day off Saturday.
