New Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jose Diaz is more commonly referred to by his nickname, Jumbo.
And it’s fitting.
For anyone unfamiliar with the 33-year-old Dominican pitcher, the “Jumbo” is for his imposing 6-foot-4, 278-pound stature. The height is spot on. As for the weight? That may depend on the day Diaz is on the hill.
He looked every bit of his listed 278 pounds during his Rays debut Thursday afternoon against the New York Yankees. Diaz’s weight is said to have ballooned to as much as 350 pounds at points during his pro baseball career that began with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2001.
As a pitcher, being mistaken for an offensive lineman isn’t optimal, but there are exceptions — pumping high-90s heat is one.
Diaz showed flashes of that heat Thursday against New York. But he also showed flashes of why, at 33, it took 13 years to reach the majors. In 1 1/3 innings, Diaz struck out three but surrendered three hits, two of which were doubles, and two runs.
“He was gassed after that first outing, but he came as advertised,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said from the field after Thursday’s 5-5 tie. “Big fastball and we’ll get him back out there another two days from now and see how he responds coming back. Fastball-slider approach.”
Diaz, a righty, joined the Rays March 10 when Tampa Bay claimed him off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds the same day pitcher Nathan Eovaldi was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Diaz made three previous Cactus League outings this spring before coming to Port Charlotte and gave up two or more runs each game.
As a major leaguer, Diaz appeared in 142 games with the Reds since 2014. He’s performed fairly well, registering a 3.65 earned run average and 1.261 walks plus hits per inning pitched rate while striking out 144 batters in 138 innings.
Eric Horchy is a staff writer with OutsidePitchMLB.com. You can follow and interact with him on Twitter: @EricHorchy
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