The Dodgers no longer have to play bullpen roulette in October. They’ve settled on Diaz as the man to finish games for the rest of the postseason.
That’s a major turn from how his first year in Los Angeles went. Diaz arrived on a three-year, $69 million deal, but the 2026 season was rough almost from the jump. He finished with an 8.68 ERA, 28 strikeouts and a 1.98 WHIP over just 18.2 innings.
Then the calendar flipped into late September, he came back from his second IL stint, and everything started to look different. Diaz closed the regular season with five straight scoreless appearances, and that momentum carried straight into the NLDS.
His postseason debut came in the sixth inning of Game 2 against the Atlanta Braves, and he delivered exactly what the Dodgers needed: a scoreless frame with two strikeouts. Afterward, Diaz pointed to the work he’d been putting in over the previous stretch.
"I think I've been putting a lot of work together in the last maybe two weeks, week and a half, and today it played out," Diaz said after Game 2. "The shape of the slider was great, and the fastball movement was really good.
I think today was really good. Just got to keep doing my job, keep helping this team to win when they give me the ball."
The Dodgers didn’t wait long to trust him in the biggest spot. In Games 3 and 4, Diaz was handed the ninth inning, and he converted both chances into saves, helping push Los Angeles into the NL Championship Series.
Manager Dave Roberts made the shift clear with his comments as Diaz kept stacking clean outings. After Game 2, Roberts said: "He’s put himself in a position to, yeah, be the closer," Roberts said after Game 2." And I think in October, I don't pay too much attention to the long sample of a season in a lot of cases because in October things happen quickly, and you've got to be willing to read and react."
After Game 3, when Diaz picked up the first of his two NLDS saves, Roberts was even more direct: "I've said all along that once he starts throwing the baseball like he's capable of, I have no problem putting him in the ninth to finish a game."
Diaz sounds like a pitcher who knows the Dodgers are seeing the version they expected. He said as much after Game 2, noting both the season’s early struggles and the strong finish.
"I think the last few weeks, I've been pitching really good," Diaz said after Game 2. "Last year, I pitched great all season long.
This season didn't start the way everyone wanted, but I finished strong late in the season, and I kept doing it right now in my first game in the postseason. So I'm really happy right now."
For now, the role is his. And if this run keeps going, Diaz could be the one on the mound when the Dodgers try to close out the World Series.
In Other News...
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Shohei Ohtanis October start with the Dodgers has not looked much like the middle of a postseason centerpiece. He has struggled at the plate in recent months, and the National League Division Series against the Braves offered more of the same, with Ohtani hitting .154 and driving in no runs. Even so, the Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series, which has bought them time to keep believing the offense from one of baseballs biggest stars will eventually show up when it matters most.
Dave Roberts and Andrew Friedman have both acknowledged the slump, but neither has sounded alarmed about where this could go from here. Their confidence is rooted in Ohtanis track record and the expectation that the bat will come around later in the postseason, which leaves the Dodgers in a familiar October spot: good enough to keep moving, but still waiting on the one player who can change the tone of the lineup in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Have A New October Debate After Beating Atlanta
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Yamamoto emerged as the fan favorite in a poll for NLDS MVP, with Muncy and Freddie Freeman also drawing support. The results say plenty about how Dodgers fans viewed the series: one camp leaned into the significance of Yamamotos Game 3 brilliance, while another saw Muncys three home runs and defensive value as just as central to the advance, setting up a familiar October debate as the club moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Finally Know When Their Brewers Showdown Will Begin
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For the Dodgers, the new calendar means the wait is nearly over as they prepare for a trip to Milwaukee and a Brewers team that earned home-field advantage with a huge regular season. The full rhythm of the series is now in place, including possible game dates stretching deeper into the week, but the real answer fans care about is still ahead: how this matchup unfolds once the first pitch arrives. [Read more 🡒]