Edwin Diaz has pushed his way back into the Dodgers’ late-inning picture at just the right time, and Dave Roberts didn’t sound like a manager merely offering polite praise.
Roberts said Diaz has done enough to earn a place in the mix for high-leverage work and even a possible save chance. “I think it’s one of those things that if you’re one of the 12, 13 pitchers on a potential postseason roster, you’re in the trust tree,” Roberts said.
“And he’s put himself right smack in that conversation. Given all that he’s had to go through this year to right the ship, it’s a big credit to him.”
That kind of language matters, especially with the Dodgers down to five games left entering Wednesday. Roberts said Diaz is scheduled to pitch in two of those games, and one of them could come in the ninth inning.
“The way he’s throwing the ninth is possible,” Roberts highlighted.
Diaz’s recent work is the reason this conversation is happening at all. He returned from the injured list on September 18 against the San Francisco Giants and was eased in with low-leverage chances.
He delivered a scoreless outing with one hit allowed and two strikeouts. The next day, he came back with another scoreless frame, this time giving up a walk and striking out two more hitters.
Against the San Diego Padres, he followed with yet another shutout inning and two strikeouts.
Across those three innings, Diaz has piled up six strikeouts without allowing a run. He’s given up just one hit and one walk. Even more encouraging for the Dodgers, he hasn’t allowed any hard-hit balls or barrels, and he has thrown 40 strikes in 60 pitches.
The stuff has looked sharper, too. His fastball has life, his slider has more movement, and his command has been better than it’s been, giving him a cleaner path to attack hitters and keep the walks down.
For a pitcher who has battled through a rough year, that’s enough to change the conversation quickly. If Diaz keeps it going and his confidence keeps building, he has the experience and the track record to become a real postseason weapon - and possibly the guy closing games.
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