Edwin Diaz said on August 7, 2026, that his difficulties in his latest outing stemmed from leaving his slider over the middle of the plate, a mistake hitters punished. "I miss the slider right in the middle and pay off," Diaz said.
Diaz noted that his fastball was sharp during the outing but that a single error with his slider proved costly. "My football today was great. You know, I just made one mistake and pay off," he said. He added that as a big-league pitcher, he needs to execute his pitches better, stating, "I'm a bigly pitcher so I got to make pitches."
Diaz also pointed out that his delivery was actually more consistent than in his previous start, when his release point varied from side to side. He described his slider as his primary strikeout pitch and explained that he missed with it in a two-strike count, saying, "My slider is the strike out pitch. And today, you know, I miss with two strike that pitch right in the middle."
Looking ahead, Diaz mentioned that he needs to keep working to find a consistent feel for his slider, including in his next bullpen session or start. He acknowledged that he trusts his catcher and the pitching coaches as they work together to address the issue. "I trust my catcher, you know, and throw my teammates. I throw everyone in the pitching coaches and we will figure it out," Diaz said.
Diaz is still working back from surgery and has not thrown many major league innings during the 2026 season. Despite the setback, he stated that he remains upbeat about his outlook and his role with the team, saying, "I'm still positive. I'm always positive. Just got to do my job better and have this thing to win."