MILWAUKEE – Remember that closer controversy that disappeared when the save opportunities also did for a week?
Get ready for Part II.
Alexis Díaz, the Cincinnati Reds’ 2023 All-Star closer who has struggled since, is approaching decision day for a possible return from the injured list early in the week.
And even if his knee, hamstring, mechanics and command are all deemed ready for big-league duty after his second of two scheduled minor-league rehab appearances Sunday, it’s anything but clear if he’ll go right back into the closer role in the Reds’ bullpen.
“That would probably be a better question for Tito,” pitching coach Derek Johnson said of manager Terry Francona. “I think he would want to put him in the right spots early and maybe not throw him to the wolves right away. But you never know.
“Just trying to get him back here is the most important part.”
Díaz, who struggled with command issues through the spring, pitched a scoreless inning for Triple-A Louisville against Omaha on Friday night, walking two of the first three batters he faced and also striking out two.
“He was around the plate. His velocity was good. His (pitch quality) was fine. His knee felt good,” said Johnson, who awaited a biomechanics report as he spoke Saturday.
He also wasn’t putting a formal timetable on Diaz’s return from an IL stint that was as much about getting his delivery right as it was any lingering discomfort from the minor tug he experienced with the hamstring early in camp.
“We need him to be right. We need him to be healthy,” Johnson said. “And whether a matter of four or five days or one day to me doesn’t really make any difference.”
So stay tuned for how Díaz performs and looks Sunday and what comes next for him as the team opens a three-game series in San Francisco Monday.
“We’ll get our heads together and try to get a game plan here,” Francona said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why Cincinnati Reds' Alexis Díaz might not return as closer from IL
