SEATTLE – The year before Edwin Díaz reached the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 2016, little brother Alexis Díaz traveled to Seattle for a pre-draft workout for the Mariners.
The next time Alexis Díaz threw a pitch from that mound, the stadium had been renamed, filled with more than 47,000 fans, it was eight years after the Cincinnati Reds drafted him instead of the Mariners, and American League All-Stars Whit Merrifield, Salvador Perez, Brent Rooker, Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr. took turns taking hacks at his best stuff.
And the way the young Reds right-hander sees it, that experience Tuesday night means he now can say he’s an All-Star closer.