The Dodgers got one All-Star closer back on the mound tonight, and they’re still sorting through the ripple effects of his return.
Edwin Diaz was sent out on a rehab assignment as he works his way back from elbow surgery. The right-hander had a procedure to remove loose bodies in late April, and this latest step puts him closer to rejoining Los Angeles.
Diaz’s first run with the Dodgers was brief but eventful: he notched saves in four of his first five outings and allowed only one run before things unraveled. He blew his first save against the Rangers, then sat for nine days.
When he finally came back, he gave up three earned runs without recording an out, and landed on the injured list the next day.
Even when the results were good, the stuff wasn’t all the way there. Diaz’s four-seamer sat at 95.7 mph, a number below his usual standard - he has never averaged under 97 mph in the majors. His slider was also down about a tick from last season, though it featured more drop and horizontal break than usual.
While Diaz works back, Tanner Scott has handled the ninth inning and done it well. The left-hander has converted 13 of 15 save chances, and the biggest improvement has come in the strike zone.
Scott owns a career-best 3.5% walk rate and has issued only five walks in 40 games. Even when Diaz is ready, Scott could still be part of the late-inning mix.
There’s more pitching help on the way, or at least moving in that direction. Blake Snell threw live batting practice on Saturday, his first time facing hitters since elbow surgery in May. Dave Roberts said Snell will begin a rehab assignment next week, and the expectation is that he’ll need four to five starts before he’s back in the majors.
Tyler Glasnow also took a step forward, throwing a fastball-only bullpen on Friday. What was first described as a minor back issue has kept him out for more than two months, and the road back has been uneven.
“There’s been times where he’s played catch, thrown pens and then feels good until he doesn’t,” Roberts said. “ The back is a little tricky.”
Shohei Ohtani will sit out the All-Star Game because of knee discomfort, and he offered a little more detail on the issue. The pain is in his kneecap, and Ohtani said pitching is what aggravates it most.
“ Pitching puts more of a strain on it.” He had surgery on that knee during the 2019 season with the Angels and is scheduled to have it drained over the break.
Ohtani still went deep yesterday, launching a leadoff homer.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will also miss the All-Star Game. Roberts said the right-hander won’t pitch in the exhibition after starting on Saturday against the Diamondbacks. Pitchers who work over the weekend often sit out the event, and Justin Wrobleski will take Yamamoto’s place on the National League roster.
The Dodgers also expect Kiké Hernández back during the first homestand after the break. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported that Hernández is targeting the club’s first home series, which begins July 28 against the Mariners. He strained his oblique in late May and has not started a rehab assignment yet.
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