Edwin Diaz was supposed to be the answer at the back end of the Dodgers’ bullpen. Instead, his first season in Los Angeles has unraveled into one problem after another.
The Dodgers gave Diaz a three-year, $69 million contract in the offseason to serve as an elite closer, but the results have been ugly from the start. He opened the year poorly, then had surgery in late April to remove loose bodies from his elbow.
That sidelined him for a little more than three months, and when he came back, the issues never really went away. Just three weeks after being activated, he was back on the injured list on August 18 because of neck inflammation.
The numbers tell the story in brutal fashion. Diaz owns an 11.85 ERA with four blown saves in 11 chances over 13⅔ innings.
His latest minor league rehab outing only added to the concern, as he gave up five runs, three walks and a hit by pitch in just 0.2 innings two appearances ago. Because of that, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has said the team could leave Diaz off its postseason roster.
A National League executive who spoke with FanSided pointed to a mechanical issue as a major reason for the collapse. The executive said Diaz’s lower arm angle has hurt his stuff, noting that the arm slot has steadily dropped since 2022, when it was 23 degrees.
It fell to 20 degrees in 2024, then 19 degrees in 2025, and is down to 15 degrees this year. Diaz and the Dodgers are actively working to correct it.
The stuff has backed up the concern. Diaz is averaging 96.3 mph on his four-seamer, down from 97.2 mph in 2025.
Hitters have punished that pitch to the tune of a .441 average and .735 slugging percentage. His slider velocity is still normal, but opponents are batting .323 with a .516 slugging percentage against it.
Last season, those numbers against the slider were far cleaner: .179 batting average and .269 slugging percentage.
The executive also suggested the problems may have started to spill over mentally once the mechanical and stuff issues showed up. He compared Diaz’s situation to Tanner Scott, who struggled badly in his first Dodgers season last year before bouncing back this season after an offseason reset.
Scott has not had a strong September, carrying a 7.71 ERA, but he has still put together a solid year overall with a 2.87 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 76 strikeouts and 22 saves in 59.2 innings. He is expected to be the Dodgers’ closer in the postseason unless Diaz suddenly turns things around in a hurry.
With the injuries, the mechanics, and the mental side all working against him, 2026 already looks like a lost year for Diaz. The three-time All-Star and three-time Reliever of the Year has endured a disastrous season, and the most realistic path back is a return to form in 2027.
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