Edwin Diaz, the Dodgers’ closer, just got the “best-case scenario” from his MRI scan on Wednesday in Los Angeles, but hold your horses on celebrating. While the team was out in Colorado against the Rockies, the scan showed nothing more than neck inflammation, which is a massive relief considering how rough his recent outings have been.
The Struggles Were Real, And Roberts Held On
It’s been *agonizing* watching Diaz lately, right? He landed on the injured list with that neck inflammation after a string of games where his command and movement just weren’t there, and it felt like every pitch was an adventure. We’ve seen him fail to consistently paint the edges of the strike zone, and when he did finally find the zone, those pitches were getting absolutely hammered. You gotta give manager Dave Roberts credit though; he stuck by Diaz through those *brutal* struggles. He waited until Diaz himself reported the neck discomfort on Monday night before making the call to put him on the IL. Now, he’s set for at least two weeks of healing and a much-needed mental break from the mound.
Clean Bill of Health, But A Mechanic Nightmare Looms
Roberts confirmed the MRI came back clean, calling it the “best-case” prognosis. That means it looks like wear and tear, not some nasty underlying damage, which is a huge relief. The plan is simple: a few days of rest, a pause on throwing, and then they’ll reassess. But here’s the real talk: this might be way more about mechanics than just a sore neck. The guy tends to pitch *super* fast after getting the ball, almost rushing through his delivery. Maybe being a bit more methodical could help sync things up. And those off-speed pitches, especially that slider, just haven’t had the movement we expect. It’s been flat when he throws it for strikes, which is just asking to get mashed. The fastball has moments of good life, sure, but the consistency is nowhere to be found when he needs it most. Diaz himself knows it, saying, “My posture. I think I’m leaning too much to the right-handed hitter; instead, go straight to home plate. I think today was way better, I think I was rushing myself a bit.” He also mentioned his arm angle being a little low, something he’s actively working on. Posture is the main focus for him, and he even felt his fastball rise was better recently. It really sounds like he’s trying to pinpoint a specific mechanical cause for all these issues, which is a good sign for long-term fixes.
So, even with the clean bill of health on his neck, Diaz has some serious work cut out for him. He’s got to get those mechanics dialed in, find that movement, and nail down that consistency if he wants to be the dominant closer the Dodgers need. For the team, it’s absolutely *imperative* he figures this out fast. With the postseason push already in full swing, they can’t afford a closer who’s struggling with command and a flat slider. We’ll be watching closely in the coming weeks to see if this two-week reset is enough to get “Sugar” back to his electric, unhittable self before October arrives.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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