Edwin Diaz, the dude the Dodgers shelled out huge cash for to be their closer this offseason, might not even make their postseason roster. Yeah, you read that right. After a Sunday rehab outing where he faced eight batters, retired only two, walked three, and even hit a guy, throwing 30 pitches with only 13 strikes, manager Dave Roberts isn’t mincing words.
Diaz Is On The Ropes, Roberts Says It Plain
This is just brutal to watch unfold. Roberts came out Monday before the Dodgers played the Cincinnati Reds and laid it all out. “He needs to pitch better. It hasn’t been good,” Roberts told everyone. He’s got another outing on Wednesday, and that’s apparently the big test. Roberts tried to sound optimistic, talking about how much he thinks of Diaz and his “baseball card looks great,” but the reality check hit hard. “But where we’re at, there’s got to be something for us to be able to hang our hat on. And he knows that. He knows that. He wants to pitch well. So for me, Wednesday, we’ll be watching closely.” He even straight-up admitted Diaz might not be on the postseason squad. “Yeah … we have to go with our best pitchers, as far as performance, talent, all that stuff. So my bet is that he will be (one of them). But again, there’s got to be some kind of evidence or something for us, again, to sort of bet on. My bet is yes, but we still have to see something.” That’s a whole lot of doubt for the highest-paid closer in the game.
The Pitching Staff Is A Merry-Go-Round Of Uncertainty
And it’s not just Diaz. The Dodgers’ bullpen is already missing Edgardo Henriquez, who went on the IL Monday with lower back discomfort, taking him out for the rest of the regular season. So, they called up Bobby Miller from Triple-A Oklahoma City, and also brought in right-hander Paul Gervase and left-hander Kris Bubic to Cincinnati. Gervase is already on the active roster, with Bubic possibly joining him soon. But wait, there’s more! Roki Sasaki has been battling a blister, and while he’s tentatively scheduled to pitch Thursday in Cincinnati, the hot and humid weather has the team sweating. Roberts is playing it super cautious. “We just can’t put him in a position to go backward. And so obviously people can look at Thursday. But again, if he can’t do it without accomplishing it, finishing a start, and not regress, then it’s not worth it. So I think for us, we’re just keeping it open-ended right now.” This is just a mess, plain and simple.
What a week for the Dodgers pitching staff, man. Everyone will be glued to Wednesday’s game to see if Diaz can show *anything* to convince Roberts he belongs. And Sasaki’s blister situation for Thursday? That’s a huge question mark with the weather. It truly feels like they’re just trying to keep their heads above water right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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