Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz will undergo surgery on Wednesday, April 22 to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the team announced April 20. Díaz was officially placed on the 15-day injured list, but the Dodgers said they expect their star reliever to be out until the second half of the season.
The move comes after Díaz gave up three earned runs on three hits without recording an out in the ninth inning of LA's 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 19. Díaz started the season strong with four saves and just one run allowed in his first five outings, but has given up six earned runs while retiring just three batters in his last two outings, which were separated by nine days after manager Dave Roberts showed concern about Díaz's fastball velocity.
Díaz has previously mentioned that his velo has been down early every year since tearing his ACL in 2023, but he's historically averaged 97.2 to 99.1 mph over the last four seasons. That number's down to 95.7 mph so far this season and dipped as low as 92.8 on April 19.
"Today was a tough evaluation," Roberts told reporters postgame. "I know what it's supposed to look like, and when it doesn't look like that, it gets a little concerning, really. So, I'll have a conversation with him."
Looks like that conversation is over for now.
Loose bodies in an elbow are small fragments of bone or articular cartilage (called "gristle") that have broken off and are floating around in the joint, according to ArmDocs. This can be the result of an injury or wear and tear, and can enlarge over time to the point where they might become trapped between the bearing surface and impede movement.
Mar 29, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Riding a two-game winning streak, the Rockies (9-13) will take on the Dodgers (15-6) today to see if they can win their third series of the season.
After falling 7-1 to L.A. on Friday, the Rockies have won the last two showdowns 4-3 and 9-6.
LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63 ERA) will be on the mound for Colorado, hoping to rebound from his last start. Quintana has struggled in his two starts this season. In his first outing vs. Miami, he gave up two runs on four hits with four walks in 4.1 innings in a no-decision in a 4-3 loss. Following that start, Quintana spent time on the 15-day IL with a strained hamstring. When he returned on April 15, his command issues remained as he walked the first three batters he faced and gave up two runs in the first inning. He only lasted 3.2 innings, giving up three runs (one homer) on three runs with four walks and one strikeout in Houston’s 3-1 victory.
Quintana last faced the Dodgers on Oct. 17, 2025 as a Milwaukee Brewer in the fourth game of the National League Championship Series when he gave up three runs in two innings, including a first-inning homer to Shohei Ohtani, in a 5-1 loss that sent L.A. to the World Series.
The Rockies will face lefty Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12 ERA). Wrobleski is in his third MLB season and off to a hot start in 2026. The 25-year-old mostly worked out of the bullpen last season with 22 of his 24 appearances coming in relief.
Wrobleski pitched in relief in his first appearance this year, but was moved to the rotation due to injuries to starters like Blake Snell and Gavin Stone. Wrobleski earned his first win when he held Toronto to one run on two hits with four walks and two strikeouts in five innings before putting up eight scoreless innings with two hits, two strikeouts and no walks on April 13 vs. the Mets.
The Rockies are 6-3 at Coors Field on the season heading into the series finale with the Dodgers and in the middle of a seven-game homestand that includes hosting the Padres starting Tuesday.
First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
A long career — he is in his 13th season and on his seventh team — has allowed Randal Grichuk perspective about the capriciousness of hitting. Sometimes smashed pitches find gloves. Bleeders become infield singles. It happens.
He tries to chase the process — a disciplined approach and the hard contact that tells him his swing is in a good spot — rather than the results. He jokes with hitting coaches that he would rather go 0-for-4 with four demolished outs than 4-for-4 with four bloop singles.
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But the time for taking heart in conducting quality at-bats is over. With Anthony Volpe on his way back and one Yankee thus on the way out, Grichuk understands he needs to perform, and the traditional stats, as well as the advanced batted-ball data, need to reflect that he is performing.
“That’s the frustrating part of being in the situation I am,” Grichuk said Sunday.
The situation: Grichuk was signed late in camp as a righty hitter capable of crushing lefties, but the Yankees seldom saw a starting left-hander in the early going, just San Francisco’s Robbie Ray in the first 11 games. So he barely played for a few weeks and now has begun getting some run, during which his expected numbers are better than his actual numbers.
Volpe, who played last week with Double-A Somerset and will play this week with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, could be ready by this weekend, creating a roster dilemma.
Yankees left fielder Randal Grichuk (34) watches his RBI sacrifice fly against the Kansas City Royals during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Would the Yankees option J.C. Escarra, who has not hit well? Not unless they feel comfortable enough with Ben Rice at backup catcher, and Rice has not caught an inning this season, though he has remained active in bullpen sessions and live batting practices.
Would the Yankees option José Caballero? Probably not, as Caballero is a solid backup option at shortstop and a real threat as a late-game pinch runner.
Would the Yankees cut bait with Paul Goldschmidt, given his shrunken role as Rice begins to see more time at first base against lefties? This early at least, highly doubtful.
That leaves Grichuk, who acknowledged the reality.
“With Volpe coming back — it’s something you think about,” he said before the Yankees swept the Royals. “You’re not not thinking about it. You just got to hope that, if it doesn’t all work out here — and hopefully it does — somebody else is interested due to the fact that they see the underlying stuff, not the baseball-card numbers.”
The baseball-card numbers paint the picture of a hitter who has begun terribly. In limited playing time, Grichuk has gone 2-for-20 with a pair of doubles, one walk and eight strikeouts. A hitter signed to hit lefties was not in the lineup Sunday against Kansas City’s Cole Ragans.
Yankees right fielder Randal Grichuk (34) reacts after striking out against the Athletics during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. John Jones-Imagn Images
But within that teensy sample size is some reason to believe there is more in Grichuk’s bat. Among 406 hitters who entered Monday with at least 10 plate appearances, his 61.5 percent hard-hit rate ranked 12th. His 30.8 percent barrel rate ranked third, just ahead of fourth-place Aaron Judge (27.5). When Grichuk has made contact, he has pounded baseballs that have become outs.
He needs to make more contact — his 36.4 percent strikeout rate in the early going is unflattering — and probably needs to have a big week against the likes of Boston southpaws Connelly Early and Ranger Suarez to give himself a chance.
“I feel like I’m swinging it well — could be swinging it better,” Grichuk said. “I felt like there’s been some at-bats that could have been rewarded but haven’t been. So it’s frustrating, but it’s definitely been one of those things that at the end of the day, no one cares. You need to produce.
“Go into it with some confidence knowing that I’ve found some barrels and haven’t found some holes and know that that’s all I can control. Just got to keep going.”
Randal Grichuk, right, reacts after hitting a double during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. AP
Grichuk does not want to leave and praised virtually everything and everyone around the Yankees. He cited a coaching staff he appreciates and that lets players prepare as they believe is best; an analytics staff that has “everything you could ever think of at your disposal”; a clubhouse he loves led by a leader he loves in Aaron Judge.
“Honestly, everything has been amazing,” he said. “Besides the traffic, everything’s great.”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 08: Kyle Bradish #38 of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on April 08, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles kick off a three-game series against a Royals team that brings the AL’s worst record into the series. An early test for the O’s as they try to avoid last year’s fate is whether they can rally when facing a scuffling squad while dealing with their own problems. They were able to do this just a couple of weeks ago when they played well against the White Sox and Giants in succession. The same opportunity arrives this week with the Royals followed by the Red Sox.
For more on this series, check out Paul Folkemer’s preview on Camden Chat from earlier today. There’s a lot going on with Kansas City. They’ve got some recent public drama between their manager and longtime stalwart Salvador Perez, who is putting up “young Orioles hitter” kinds of numbers at the plate early this season. They moved their fences in this season to try to spark some offense and, as of the last time I looked, had gotten exactly one extra home run from the new dimensions. A lot of their relievers have been bad, as have two of their starters; unfortunately for the Orioles, the bad starters aren’t lined up for this set.
Over at our sister site Royals Review, they’re calling this a must-win series, and no wonder. Kansas City is already 7-15. If they lose at least two games here to the Orioles, they’re 8-17 at best. We know from the 2025 Orioles example that it’s tough to come back from that even if you start playing better. The toughest thing is that, if you’re bad enough to start 8-17, you’re probably bad enough to just keep on being bad. We are well aware of the Orioles challenges. Perhaps this is a classic “stoppable force vs. movable object” situation.
Orioles lineup
Gunnar Henderson – SS
Taylor Ward – LF
Dylan Beavers – DH
Pete Alonso – 1B
Samuel Basallo – C
Jeremiah Jackson – 2B
Colton Cowser – RF
Leody Taveras – CF
Blaze Alexander – 3B
Kyle Bradish is on the mound for the Orioles. He will have three real outfielders in the outfield for this game, which is not something he had in his last start. Maybe that means it will go better for him. If you take away the egregiously-scored triple that should have been an error in that last game, his ERA drops to 4.58. That’s still not great but we’d feel better about it than something 5+.
It’s not a very good-looking Orioles lineup, but then, it won’t be for as long as so many of its parts are struggling. I feel the temptation to want Jackson and Taveras higher up in the order as long as they’re hitting and other guys aren’t. It probably doesn’t matter all that much. Wherever they are, more players need to hit.
Royals lineup
Maikol Garcia – 3B
Bobby Witt Jr. – SS
Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B
Salvador Perez – DH
Carter Jensen – C
Michael Massey – 2B
Jac Caglianone – RF
Isaac Collins – LF
Kyle Isbel – CF
It’s not going to be an easy one for the Orioles batters tonight, as they’re going up against Seth Lugo. The Royals righty is bringing a 1.48 ERA into the game. I am expecting more of the continuing misery from the Guardians series, when the O’s were also facing tough pitcher after tough pitcher.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 15: Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the bottom of the first inning at Comerica Park on April 15, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, uh, woof. After spending the weekend getting blasted by the Yankees and some minor-sounding infighting, the Royals ended a disastrous six-game road trip on a real heater, losers of seven in a row. The vibes are not good as the Royals are tied with the Mets for the worst record in baseball at 7-15.
There’s a lot of season left, and the Royals will need to get this bad taste out of their mouths. Like, now. Immediately. Get a TON of Listerine and swish it around for two minutes. Spit it out. Repeat maybe two or three more times.
Today they return to Kauffman Stadium for a series against the Baltimore Orioles, who enter the series with a 10-12 record. Seth Lugo is the first swish of mouthwash as he gets the start. Lugo was last seen carving the Detroit Tigers into mincemeat, allowing only one run over 6 and 2/3 innings with 7 strikeouts. He has a 1.48 ERA on the season. They will need every bit of Lugo’s best to help end this stink.
The Orioles counter with Kyle Bradish, who I just learned is still under 30 years old. Feels like he’s been around forever, despite not actually pitching that much over the past two seasons. He has four starts of slightly-below-average performance in 2026. He’ll get some Ks but will also give up a walk or three. He’s been bitten by some bad luck – high BABIP, low strand rate – so hopefully the Royals will get some of that luck today.
Salvador Perez gets another day off catching today. He starts at DH, with Carter Jensen at catcher. Jonathan India was placed on the 10-day IL with left shoulder subluxation. Michael Massey starts at second base.
The game starts at 6:40pm US Central at Kauffman Stadium. It’s Grateful Dead night. You can watch locally on Royals.TV, and nationally on FS1. You can listen on 96.5 The Fan or the Royals Radio Network.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 19: Edwin Diaz #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks off the field after giving up three earned runs in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The early-season struggles of Edwin Díaz reached its logical conclusion on Monday, with the Dodgers closer placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of the team’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver. The team says Díaz has loose bodies in his right elbow, and will undergo arthroscopic surgery.
Díaz’s surgery will be Wednesday at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles, to remove the loose bodies from his elbow. The Dodgers say Díaz is expected to return during the second half of the season.
Díaz is averaging just 95.7 mph on his four-seam fastball this season, a mile and a half lower than his previous low, which rang alarm bells over the last two weeks. After blowing a save on April 10 at Dodger Stadium by allowing three runs in the ninth inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Díaz was day-to-day as they tried to figure out the issues.
“Today was a tough evaluation. I mean, it really was,” Roberts said. “Because I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really. And so, I’ll have a conversation with him. I know our training staff, and pitching guys will, and make sure that there is nothing to it, because the radar gun has been consistent, and his velocity been consistent in that, and it wasn’t there today.
“I gotta know more.”
That knowledge came in the form of loose bodies in the right elbow of Díaz, who to this point had maintained he is healthy.
The Dodgers have limited healthy and available pitching options on their 40-man roster, with both River Ryan and Paul Gervase on the injured list in Triple-A Oklahoma City. Ronan Kopp, who was just added to the 40-man roster in November, pitched Friday and Sunday for the Comets. Right-hander Chayce McDermott, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles last Thursday, pitched on Saturday in Triple-A.
That left Jake Eder, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals on April 1, and qualifies as part of the fresh arm express, having last pitched last Thursday for Oklahoma City, throwing 17 pitches in his one inning of work, and allowed two runs on three hits. In three games with the Comets this season, the left-hander Eder has allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts and two walks.
Since Díaz’s last save, on April 7, the Dodgers have recorded two saves, both by Alex Vesia.
The night couldn’t have begun any better for Aaron Nola.
Then the second inning happened.
And the Phillies were on their way to another loss, this one by the score of 5-1 to the Chicago Cubs on Monday night at chilly Wrigley Field.
That’s six losses in a row, 10 in the last 12 games, if you’re keeping score at home. The Phillies, with their high expectations and $300 million-plus payroll, are 8-14 for the first time since the 99-loss season of 2015.
Prior to his team’s latest loss, manager Rob Thomson mentioned the need for his pitchers to start having some quick innings.
As if on cue, Nola responded in the first inning. He struck out Nico Hoerner on three pitches, retired Michael Busch on two and Alex Bregman on one.
That was the highlight of the night for Nola.
He labored through a 27-pitch second inning and allowed three hits and two walks as the Cubs put four runs on the board, three coming on a 424-foot, three-run homer to center by Dansby Swanson.
Nola allowed two more hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly in the third as the Cubs went up, 5-0.
That was plenty for Cubs’ right-hander Colin Rea, who pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball to beat the Phillies for the second time in a week. Rea kept the Phillies’ hitters off balance with a seven-pitch mix, led by a fastball that averaged 93.8 mph and a splitter that he threw 17 percent of the time.
The Phils are 1-4 Nola’s five starts, 0-3 in his last three. He has an ERA of 5.06. He allowed 10 base runners on six hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings Monday night. A two-out walk to Pete Crow-Armstrong kept the second inning alive for Swanson. With a 3-1 count, Nola threw a 91.5 mph sinker right down the middle and Swanson crushed it to center.
It was another slow night for the Phillies’ offense, which has scored just 10 runs in this six-game losing streak.
The Phils had a chance to bruise Rea in the second inning but left the bases loaded when Rafael Marchan struck out.
Finally, the Phillies put a run on the board in the fourth when rookie Justin Crawford doubled to left-center.
Alec Bohm continued to struggle for the Phillies. He went hitless in three at-bats to slip to .133 before walking in the eighth. That walk put two men on base with two outs for Bryson Stott. He popped to third base to end the threat. For the night, the Phillies went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 18: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home run in the thirteenth inning during a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Apr 8, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals road trip continues as they do battle with the Miami Marlins Monday night at LoanDepot Park. Michael McGreevy (1-1 with a 2.49 ERA) will start for the Cardinals while Max Meyer (1-0 with a 4.12 ERA) will be on the mound for the Marlins. First pitch scheduled for 5:40pm central time.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 15: Bryce Elder #55 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch on the day that all players and coaches were wearing #42 as MLB was honoring Jackie Robinson Day during the MLB game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on April 15, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves are looking for their sixth straight win as the face off against the third best offense in MLB tonight. The Nationals are currently tied for second place in the NL East with the Marlins. Most people would have probably laughed at someone predicting the top three teams in the NL East being the Braves, Nats, and Marlins this far in to the season, but here we are.
Bryce Elder looks like a new pitcher this season, both with his on the field results and his underlying metrics. He may be the key to the success of this game because the Nats are scoring runs like crazy, but are also giving up runs like crazy with the second worst ERA in MLB. This game could come down to the pitching as this could be a shootout just looking at the teams on paper.
Follow along in the comments. First pitch is at 6:45 EDT.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 19: Joey Wiemer #21 of the Washington Nationals slides in to second base against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park on April 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a couple of lackluster years by their standards, it sure seems like the big bad Braves are back. They are 15-7 and have a 5 game lead in the division already. The Nats will have to battle with this team for four games. It will be a tough test for the exciting but flawed Nats.
With a righty on the mound, there will be a couple changes in the lineup. Daylen Lile will be back in there in left field. The red hot Jose Tena will be back in the DH spot, while Luis Garcia Jr. goes to first base. Drew Millas will be behind the plate. Jake Irvin has had success against the Braves over the years, but this lineup has been firing on all cylinders so far.
Six of the Braves nine starters have an OPS of at least .799 and two of the players below that are Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, who is heating up after a slow start. Old friend Dominic Smith has been a revelation for the Braves, hitting over .350 with a number of big moments. Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson are red hot, while Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies look re-energized. This lineup is looking scary. Bryce Elder has also gotten off to an insane start and will be on the mound tonight.
While it was nice to avoid the sweep, dropping that second game of the Giants series still looms large. The Nats could have been entering this series at .500. Facing the red hot Braves for four games is an uphill battle, but hopefully the Nats can come away with a split like they did against the Pirates. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 19: Brayan Rocchio #4 of the Cleveland Guardians talks to the media after the Guardians defeated the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 08: Aaron Nola #27 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants on April 8, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Game one of a new series on deck. Here are the lineups, let’s discuss.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s a three-city week for the Dodgers, who finish up their four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday in Denver, then head to San Francisco to take on the Giants at Oracle Park for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night.
The Dodgers have their best three starting pitchers going in their first salvo against their longtime division rivals, beginning with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday night. Yamamoto is coming off 7 2/3 innings against the Mets, and will be on six days rest in the series opener in San Francisco. He has a 2.10 ERA with 21 strikeouts and three walks in 25 2/3 innings in his four starts this season.
Right-hander Landen Roupp, 24 days younger than Yamamoto, starts the opener for the Giants. The right-hander has yet to allow a home run this season, posting a 2.38 ERA in four starts with 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 22 2/3 innings.
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz pitches against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 31. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers announced Monday that Edwin Díaz will undergo surgery to remove “loose bodies” in his right elbow and the closer isn't expected to return until some point in the second half of the season.
Díaz, 32, has a 10.50 ERA in seven appearances this season for the Dodgers, who made a splash signing the high-profile free agent to a three-year $69-million deal, a record for a reliever.
The Dodgers recalled 27-year-old left-handed long reliever Jake Eder to replace Díaz on the roster.
Díaz gave up three runs and failed to get an out in the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies in a non-save situation Sunday, in what was his first appearance in nine days.
He entered the game and gave up a walk and three base hits, including a two-RBI single to Edouard Julien. Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed concern about Díaz’s performance: “I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”
Before the Dodgers played their final game of the four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, Roberts said that the diagnosis provides some clarity, and that Díaz only began feeling discomfort in his elbow Sunday.
Before that Roberts said the plan was to “tread lightly” with the pitcher’s workload, unsure why the velocity of his pitches was down.
“Obviously, we all saw the stuff [Sunday], and it sent up red flags,” Roberts said. “And so, after the game, he had a conversation with our training staff, and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. So we just wanted to be proactive, and felt that it was smart to get an MRI, get imaging, which we did do, and it showed loose bodies.”
Having experienced the same thing as a player, Roberts explained, “you have loose bodies and they're asymptomatic until they're not.”
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz jogs to the mound during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 31. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
A 10-year veteran, Díaz is a three-time All-Star. For his career, he has 257 saves in 300 opportunities with 849 strikeouts.
General manager Brandon Gomes said the Dodgers are “as confident as we can be” that Díaz will return to top form.
"Our understanding is that it's a pretty straightforward procedure,” Gomes said. “We're going to take our time with getting him back and being mindful of the buildup, and make sure he's in a really good position to come out and compete at the highest level of what we expect.
“It's the benefit of having a deeper staff and a talented team that it's never easy to lose somebody like Edwin, but we'll get through it and it'll be a collective effort to keep winning baseball games."
Roberts said he doesn’t plan to name a substitute closer in Díaz’s place, and the manager acknowledged that the news will significantly alter how he’ll use the bullpen.
“It does change it. In a big way,” Roberts said. “I do think being able to deploy guys in their right lanes or pockets has been helpful. But with that, I do think that Alex [Vesia] has been throwing the baseball really well. Tanner [Scott has] been throwing the baseball really well, and outside of last night, Blake [Treinen] was throwing the baseball really well.
“But it does kind of not allow us to work from the back end, which is certainly a luxury."
The Dodgers have had unfortunate luck signing big-name relievers. In 2025 they signed left-hander Scott to a four-year $72-million deal. He then led the league with 10 blown saves last season and the Dodgers removed him from their postseason roster, replacing him with left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who was set to start Monday as the team played for a series split at Coors Field.
