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.