The Dodgers brought Edwin Diaz in to be the arm they could trust when the ninth inning got tight. Instead, the first months of that partnership have been messy, and Dave Roberts is no longer shutting down the idea that a change could come.
Diaz, who signed a three-year, $69 million deal over the offseason, has struggled badly in 2025. Through 15 appearances, the right-hander has a 10.66 ERA and has converted seven of 11 save chances. The roughest stretch came this past week, when he blew three saves and forced the Dodgers to confront a problem they had tried to ride out.
For now, Roberts is still sticking with him. But the leash is no longer endless.
“I’m willing to, at some point,” Roberts said to the California Post. “I just don’t want to do it now. Because there’s a part of it where, I need to show him that I believe in him [and] what he signed up for -- until I can’t.”
Diaz’s season has been interrupted by more than just poor results. He missed multiple months after elbow surgery to remove loose bodies, and even before that surgery, the Dodgers weren’t getting the version they expected. The post-surgery numbers have only made the situation look more urgent.
Roberts said he hopes time off will help Diaz sort through the delivery adjustments he’s working on.
“Hopefully with a couple days off to work through [his delivery changes],” Roberts said, “we’ll see a better version [of him] going forward.”
The timing matters. The postseason is about six weeks away, and the Dodgers can’t keep giving away games while the National League West lead keeps shrinking.
That cushion was more than 14 games before the All-Star break. Now it sits at seven.
Los Angeles wants Diaz to get the chance to right himself, but not if it keeps costing the club in the standings. Roberts made that balance plain.
“At the end of the day, to a lot of the questions that you guys are asking, the players got to do their jobs,” Roberts said. “You can only protect them, put them in the best spots, but they have to perform. And I understand that too.”
If Diaz can’t turn it around, the Dodgers may eventually have to look at a familiar path. Roberts pointed to left-hander Tanner Scott as a recent example.
Scott also had trouble in his first year with Los Angeles last season and wound up off the postseason rosters. This year, he’s bounced back with a 2.20 ERA in 53 appearances, and he could become a natural option if the Dodgers decide to pull Diaz from the closer role.
For now, though, Diaz still has the job. But after the latest run of blown saves, the message from Roberts is clear: that may not last forever.
In Other News...
Dave Roberts Just Sent A Concerning Message About The Dodgers Lineup
The Dodgers offense has spent the past several weeks looking far too ordinary for a group built to be one of baseballs most dangerous lineups, and the numbers have reflected it. Since June, Los Angeles has lagged in runs scored, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, a stretch that has left manager Dave Roberts searching for cleaner at-bats and a sharper overall approach from his club.
Roberts has pointed to a breakdown in plate discipline and focus, along with an inability to adjust as opposing pitchers have leaned more heavily on fastballs. Even with the team trying to create a greater sense of urgency, the slump has lingered, and the bigger concern is that the Dodgers still have not shown the kind of consistent offensive rhythm that usually separates their lineup from the rest of the league. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Tucker's Dodgers Struggles Have Reached An Uncomfortable New Level
Kyle Tuckers first season-long stretch of discomfort in a Dodgers uniform has started to look bigger than a simple slump. Offensively, he has been stuck at .230, and the defensive numbers have been just as uneasy, a combination that has left his overall value in an awkward spot for a team that expected steadier production from a player of his caliber.
The recent look on the field has only sharpened the concern, with Tucker carrying a hitless run and the gloveside mistakes piling up at the worst possible time. Even the conversation around him has moved beyond patience and into possible fixes, which says plenty about how unusual this phase has become for a player the Dodgers were counting on to settle things down. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Are Walking A Fine Line With Shohei Ohtani Right Now
Shohei Ohtanis role with the Dodgers has already become a balancing act, and the latest twist only sharpens it. Los Angeles is treating his two-way workload with extra care after a recent stretch in which the club has made it clear it values both his pitching and his hitting, with president Andrew Friedman saying the team will keep adjusting based on how he is feeling.
Manager Dave Roberts has framed the situation as one built on communication and trust, which is part of why the Dodgers have resisted a more formal roster move. For now, the team is waiting on Ohtani to tell them when he needs a break, a setup that works fine when he is healthy and gets a lot trickier when any discomfort lingers. [Read more 🡒]