The Dodgers announced that right-hander Edwin Díaz was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right elbow. A subsequent announcement said he would undergo surgery to address the issue and was expected to return in the second half of the season. He will reportedly miss three months, which would put him in a position to return in time for the All-Star break. Left hand Jake Eder he was recalled to replace Díaz in the active lineup.
Díaz’s status has been a mystery for a while now, as he has struggled against the Dodgers while pitching at a reduced rate. His fastball has averaged 95.7 miles per hour so far this year, a significant drop from last year’s 97.2 mph average. His results were good in five outings but the sixth, on April 10, was not easy. He entered the game 7-4 in the ninth and gave up three runs, allowing the Rangers to tie it.
The Dodgers were able to take that game away in the bottom of the ninth but Díaz was a question mark. He didn’t pitch in an official game for more than a week after that, though the Dodgers had some save situations. He finally came back from the stick last night but the results were again bad. He entered the bottom of the eighth at Coors Field, and the Dodgers lost 6-4. He faced four batters, allowing three hits and a walk, then was ejected without recording.
On the other hand, it’s nice to find an ailment that explains his struggles, but any pitcher’s elbow problem is going to bother him. Losing him for three months will be a disaster. He has been one of the best closers in recent history and was recently signed to a huge contract in the offseason. The Dodgers offered him a three-year, $69MM deal to get him off the Mets.
The Dodgers have won the past two World Series but their 2025 title came despite a shaky bullpen. Manager Dave Roberts relied heavily on his starters as the postseason progressed and the Dodgers just kept going, as they almost lost to the Jays several times, going into extra innings in Game Seven.
The signing of Díaz was supposed to address one of the club’s few weak spots as it looks for a three-peat. Although Díaz isn’t playing as ridiculously as he was a few years ago, he still had a great 2025 season, throwing 66 1/3 innings with a 38% earned run rate, an 8% walk rate and a 48.4% groundball rate.
The Dodgers generally take a long-term view of injuries. Their team is strong enough to feel good about their chances of making the postseason. They can have their players, especially pitchers, take their time to ensure they are healthy in the postseason. Given the three-month timeline, they could take that route with Díaz. Ideally, he’ll be back in time to shake off the rust and be in top shape by October.
Time will tell how that goes. If Díaz suffers any sort of setback or struggles to get back into shape when he’s healthy, it could affect how the Dodgers approach the trade deadline, which is August 3 this year.
For now, they’ll have to go without their big offseason bullpen investment. Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia again Blake Treinen may be candidates to pick up some savings opportunities now. Scott has returned to good form so far this year after a difficult 2025. Vesia has collected a few scattered saves over the years and has started 2026 with ten scoreless appearances. Treinen has previous closing experience but hasn’t had a good start this year, with a 4.05 ERA so far.
ESPN’s Alden González reported that he will undergo surgery and be out for about three months. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic first reported that some sort of process would take place. Jack Harris of the California Post first reported that the Dodgers would expect him to return to that process this season. Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
