Former big leaguer Diaz begins his first season in the Atlantic League and first in independent baseball. He last played in 2008, splitting time in the Texas Rangers and New York Mets organizations. He began the season with Triple-A New Orleans of the Mets organization where he went 1-5 with a 6.69 ERA in 12 games. The righty then spent time at the Double-A level with the Rangers before being called up to the big leagues in July. The Dominican Republic native has played in eight seasons of professional baseball. Diaz was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dodgers in 1996.