Manager David Bell reluctantly confirmed Diaz as the Reds' closer to begin the season when asked about the matter Tuesday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports. "I guess the only reason I'm hesitant to say that -- and I'm not, he's going into the season as our closer -- there are times where it's an important game and he's fully available, we might use him earlier than that," Bell said of Diaz. "He's that good."
Bell's quote is important, but his managerial tendencies are still going to be a little frustrating for fantasy players when he sees a situation where Diaz needs to put out a fire in the seventh inning. Even so, Bell's comments represent a more affirmative statement about his plans at closer than he's typically provided during his tenure as Reds manager. Diaz's ascension to closing duties comes in part due to the Reds' lack of reliable alternatives, though he certainly earned the role on merit as a rookie in 2022. The 26-year-old converted 10 of 14 save chances while providing a 1.84 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 83:33 K:BB across 63.2 innings in his first taste of the big leagues.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Earns win Tuesday
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Diaz (7-3) earned the win after he pitched 1.1 innings scoreless innings, striking out two batters in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Cubs.
Diaz entered the game with two outs in the top of the eighth inning and the score tied at 2-2, getting Ian Happ to fly out to end the frame. He returned for the top of the ninth, striking out two batters before earning the win when Spencer Steer ripped a walkoff RBI double in the bottom of the inning. Diaz now sports a 1.84 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 83 strikeouts over 63.2 frames in 59 appearances this season. The reliever appears to be on track to be one of the best late-inning options in fantasy next year and has gone 10-for-14 in save chances with 13 holds in 2022.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Yields run, earns save
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Diaz allowed one run on two walks in one inning while picking up a save over the Cubs on Monday.
Diaz struggled with his command and nearly let the Cubs make a late comeback but he escaped with his 10th save of the year. The right-handed rookie has given up three earned runs over his last 12 appearances since his last blown save Aug. 23. Despite the shaky outing, Diaz owns a 1.88 ERA with an 81:33 K:BB through 58 appearances.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Takes loss in extra frame
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Diaz (6-3) allowed an unearned run on one walk and one hit while striking out two across 1.2 innings to take the loss Wednesday against the Pirates.
Diaz entered the game in the ninth inning and kept the score knotted at 3-3. He remained on the mound for the 10th inning and allowed a soft bloop hit to Kevin Newman to surrender the winning run. Despite the minor setback, Diaz has maintained a 1.80 ERA with a 12:5 K:BB across 10 innings in September. He should remain locked into the closer role in the final week of the season.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Picks up ninth save
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Diaz earned the save Sunday against Milwaukee, striking out the side in the ninth inning of a 2-1 victory.
Facing the heart of the Brewers' lineup, Diaz needed 14 pitches to fan all three batters. It was his ninth save of the season and third since Sept. 15. Since the All-Star break he's posted a 1.37 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 36:10 K:BB in 26.1 innings while closing out six games and holding opposing batters to a .128 batting average.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Two-out save
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Diaz tallied the final two outs without allowing a baserunner to earn the save Wednesday against Boston.
Diaz entered the game with runners on first and second to protect a four-run lead. However, he induced a double-play ball to end the game and earn his eighth save of the season. Since the start of September, Diaz has allowed two earned runs across 7.1 innings while also picking up two wins and two saves. He's served as Cincinnati's primary closer since early August and has maintained a 1.84 ERA with a 76:30 K:BB across 58.2 innings for the campaign.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Survives for seventh save
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Diaz picked up a save against the Cardinals on Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk over one inning.
St. Louis managed only one run and one hit against a trio of Cincinnati pitchers through eight frames, and Diaz was asked to preserve a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. He allowed a shift-busting single to begin the frame and then walked Tommy Edman to put the tying runs on base before retiring Paul Goldschmidt on a flyout. Nolan Arenado then hit a pop-fly single to load the bases, and Albert Pujols followed with a sacrifice fly, but Diaz got Corey Dickerson to ground out to end the game and earn the save. Despite the shaky outing, Diaz has looked like the Reds' closer of the future, posting a 1.93 ERA and 75:27 K:BB over 56 innings. He's likely to get most of Cincinnati's save chances down the stretch, though those may be limited given the team's poor record.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Earns win Thursday
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Diaz (6-2) earned the win in Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Cubs. He allowed one run on one hit and zero walks while striking out three over 1.2 innings.
Diaz entered the game with one out in the seventh inning down 2-1 and struck out the two batters he faced. He stuck around for the eighth inning after the Reds the game 2-2, and he surrendered a one-out solo shot off the bat of Seiya Suzuki before retiring the next two batters. Cincinnati went on to score two in the ninth to earn Diaz his sixth win in what was a back-and-forth finish to the game. Despite the hiccup, Diaz still owns a dazzling 1.83 ERA and 0.94 WHIP and remains the Reds' primary closer down the stretch.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Picks up win in relief
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Diaz (5-2) earned the win Friday against the Rockies. He allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning.
Diaz was called upon in the ninth inning of a tied game and pitched well for the Reds, keeping the Rockies off the board. He picked up the win after Jonathan India hit a walkoff RBI single. Diaz seems to be the current favorite late-game option for the Reds. He is one save behind Hunter Strickland for the team lead, but Strickland's last save was Aug. 1 and Diaz has picked up three since then. Diaz also has an impressive 1.72 ERA and and 0.96 WHIP.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Blows save, takes loss
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Diaz (4-2) blew the save and took the loss Tuesday in Philadelphia, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk while striking out one in one-third of an inning.
Diaz walked the first batter and then gave up a run-scoring double to Bryson Stott to tie the game. After a strikeout, Nick Maton singled home Stott to end it. Tuesday marked the first time Diaz allowed a run in nine outings in August. Since returning from a biceps injury at the beginning of July, he's compiled a 1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 29:7 K:BB in 18 innings.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Possible waiver wire pickups
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Certainly, there are more promising save sources out there in a number of leagues, chief among them being the Orioles' Felix Bautista, but if your league has already mined the deadline news for incoming closers, then Diaz might be the next-best place to turn. Hunter Strickland, after allowing 10 earned runs in his past nine appearances, is predictably out of the closer role, where he never should have been in the first place. Manager David Bell hasn't expressed any plans for the bullpen beyond that -- and has been reticent to do so in general -- but come on. It has to be Edwin Diaz's little brother this time, right? No other Reds reliever has come close to matching his production this year, and he's been handling the eighth inning for more than a month now.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Bags save in come-from-behind win
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Diaz claimed a save in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday in the Reds' 4-3 win over the Yankees. He issued a walk and recorded a strikeout in the 13-pitch appearance.
Though Hunter Strickland was available after he hadn't worked since Saturday, he was bypassed for the save chance after squandering his most recent chance June 6. Manager David Bell instead turned to Diaz, who retired three of the four batters he faced to close out the come-from-behind win after the Reds plated four of their runs in the top of the ninth. While Diaz possesses the best skills of any pitcher in the Cincinnati bullpen, Bell's reluctance to commit to a full-time closer since Raisel Iglesias was traded to the Angels following the 2020 season suggests that Diaz and Strickland may continue to share the ninth-inning role.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Activated from IL
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Diaz (biceps) was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Diaz will make his return Friday as expected, rejoining the team after missing a little over three weeks while nursing a biceps injury. The reliever owns a 2.40 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 36 punchouts and two saves over 30 innings in 27 appearances this season. Diaz should work his way back into a high-leverage role pretty quickly, potentially contending for saves given Hunter Strickland's recent struggles.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Expected to return Friday
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Diaz (biceps) is expected to be activated off the 15-day injured list Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Diaz has been out since June 19 while dealing with a biceps issue, but he faced live hitters Wednesday and is now on track to return from the injured list Friday. The 25-year-old will likely work his way back into a high-leverage role in the Reds' bullpen once healthy.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Takes on hitters
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Diaz (biceps) threw a live batting practice session Wednesday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
On tap next for Diaz should be a brief minor-league rehab assignment before he returns from the 15-day injured list. Hunter Strickland has seemingly built some security as the Reds' primary closer while Diaz has been sidelined with right biceps tendinitis, but Diaz should still have a high-leverage role in the bullpen waiting for him once he's activated.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Slated to throw bullpen Sunday
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Diaz (biceps) will throw a bullpen session Sunday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Diaz is scheduled to throw live BP on Wednesday following Sunday's throwing session, so he should remain on the 15-day injured list until at least late next week. The right-hander could take on a setup role once he returns to action since Hunter Strickland has performed well as the Reds' closer recently.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Won't return Friday
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Diaz (biceps) will require at least two more throwing sessions before he's cleared to return, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The Reds initially hoped Diaz would be able to be reinstated from the injured list Friday, but he'll instead toss a bullpen Saturday prior to throwing a live BP on Monday. Once the right-hander is officially activated, it's possible he takes on a setup role since manager David Bell expressed confidence in Hunter Strickland as the Reds' closer last weekend.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Could be activated Friday
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Diaz (biceps) could be ready to return from the 15-day injured list Friday when first eligible to be activated, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Diaz was scheduled to throw off a mound Sunday in San Francisco for the first time since landing on the IL on June 19. Assuming Diaz comes out of the side session feeling no worse for the wear, he'll throw again Wednesday in what could be his final test before he returns from the IL. Though Diaz was part of the Reds' muddled closing mix prior to landing on the shelf, he could have to settle for a setup role upon his return after manager David Bell suggested Sunday that Hunter Strickland could get a long look in the ninth-inning role.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Bullpen session Saturday
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Diaz (biceps) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The 25-year-old landed on the injured list last weekend with right biceps tendinitis, but he resumed playing catch Wednesday and is set to retake the mound Saturday. Diaz is eligible to return from the injured list late next week, and he may not end up missing much more than the 15-day minumum.
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Reds' Alexis Diaz: Heads to IL with biceps tendinitis
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The Reds placed Diaz on the 15-day injured list Sunday with right biceps tendinitis.
Diaz wasn't the clear-cut top option in the Reds' closer committee, but with Tony Santillan (back) recently joining Lucas Sims (back) on the injured list and with Art Warren having struggled in his recent appearances, Diaz seemingly had a good chance of emerging as Cincinnati's top option for saves in the short term. He had already performed as the Reds' best reliever this season with a 2.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 36:16 K:BB in 30 innings to go with two saves and eight holds, but the injury now casts doubt about Diaz's outlook moving forward. Biceps tendinitis can often be a precursor to a more serious injury, but for now, the Reds will have to hope that he misses the minimum 15 days or close to it. Warren and Hunter Strickland look like the best bets for saves with all of Diaz, Santillan and Sims on the IL.
