Dodgers place closer Edwin Díaz on injured list again
The Los Angeles Dodgers have moved Edwin Díaz back to the injured list less than a month after his activation, recalling Emmet Sheehan from Triple-A as a replacement.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed closer Edwin Díaz on the injured list, a move announced by multiple team sources. The specific injury has not been disclosed, and the club will recall right-hander Emmet Sheehan from Triple-A to fill the relief role.
Since returning from elbow surgery in late July, Díaz has posted a 12.91 ERA, allowing 11 earned runs on 16 hits. From Aug. 7 onward, he blew three of five save opportunities and surrendered nine earned runs in five innings. Manager Dave Roberts said he continues to trust the $69 million closer despite recent struggles.
“That’s going to help with my confidence, 100 percent,” Díaz told The Athletic. “They keep trusting me… If it was in another position, maybe they put another guy, or give me a break. But they keep trusting me and give me the ball.”
The team believes a mechanical issue involving a lower arm angle may be contributing to Díaz’s performance decline. In a recent game against the Colorado Rockies, Roberts used Díaz in the ninth inning with a nine-run lead; Díaz yielded three runs before securing the final out.
The Dodgers entered the move amid a difficult August, posting a 6-10 record for the month and losing a four-game home series to the Milwaukee Brewers. The bullpen’s overall struggles have prompted the club to reassess its closing strategy.
“I have to find a way to keep pitching good,” Díaz said. “I’ve been having a good game, (then a) bad game, good game, bad game.”