Edwin Díaz’s latest rehab outing has pushed the Dodgers into a postseason call they probably hoped to avoid.
The right-hander is on his second rehab assignment of the season, and this one has gone even worse than the first. His initial stint in Oklahoma City, when he was working back from elbow surgery, produced a 10.80 ERA in just 1⅓ innings. The second try has been rougher still.
Díaz has appeared in four rehab games so far. He opened with a nearly clean inning, allowing only a walk.
In his second outing, he lasted just ⅔ of an inning after giving up a run on two walks. The third trip was a step forward - one hit, one walk and no earned runs over a full inning - but Sunday wiped out any momentum he had built.
Against his latest assignment, Díaz was tagged for five earned runs on two hits, a hit by pitch and three walks. He was pulled before he could finish the inning.
That kind of line leaves the Dodgers with very little room to dream on a meaningful October role. They still have a few days before they have to make a roster decision, but the message is hard to ignore: he cannot be used in tight games.
Not even if the club has already clinched a postseason berth. The Atlanta Braves remain close enough to keep the Dodgers thinking about the first-round bye, and that means there’s no margin to burn innings with a shaky arm.
If Díaz returns at all, the only realistic spot for him would be a blowout. Even then, trust would be the issue. Tanner Scott has been slipping, but even he looks like the safer choice in high-leverage spots right now.
The bigger picture is even more uncomfortable for Los Angeles: Díaz may simply need to be left off the postseason roster.
Roki Sasaki is expected to head back to the rotation once he’s healthy, but his dominant postseason closer role could be back on the table if Scott doesn’t settle in. Tyler Glasnow is also expected to shift to the bullpen in October, and the Dodgers could even test him in that job.
Los Angeles is still the favorite to win the World Series, but doing it without Díaz - their $69 million man - would be a glaring reminder of how little they’ve been able to get from him all season.
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