The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly adding closer Edwin Díaz to the injured list, with The Athletic’s Katie Woo reporting an “upper-body” injury. Good news, Woo also says the Dodgers don’t believe the issue is with his elbow, which is something at least. But man, for a guy who was one of their huge free agent signings this offseason, this just keeps piling on what has been a seriously tough season for him in L.A.
This Season’s Numbers Are Getting Hard to Ignore
Díaz has only managed to make 16 appearances this season, and the numbers are just brutal. He’s got an 11.85 ERA and a 2-2 record. Even worse, he’s had 11 save opportunities and has blown four of them. This is the guy the Dodgers paid a boatload for, expecting him to shut things down, and it just hasn’t happened. His three-year, $69 million deal, fully guaranteed, includes a $23 million average annual value, which is the highest for a relief pitcher in MLB history. When you’re paying that kind of money, you expect results, not more IL stints.
A Pattern of Struggles and Bad Luck
This isn’t Díaz’s first trip to the IL this year. He missed three months in the middle of the season because he had loose bodies removed from his elbow. Before that procedure, he’d pitched six innings across six games, with a 10.50 ERA. Six of the seven earned runs he gave up then came in his final two appearances before hitting the IL the first time. Since returning, it hasn’t gotten much better, with Díaz allowing 11 earned runs in just 7 2/3 innings, leading to a 12.91 ERA in that span. He’s got a 1-2 record, with three saves and three blown saves since coming back.
His recent struggles follow a rough patch in 2024 when he couldn’t regain his form after famously tearing his patellar tendon in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He was celebrating a save for Puerto Rico, jumped on the mound, landed wrong, and missed the entire season. It felt like he finally got back to his old self in 2025, throwing 62 appearances for the Mets with a 1.63 ERA and converting 28 of 31 save opportunities. But between the elbow issues earlier this season and this new “upper-body” problem, his progress has been totally derailed again. The Dodgers have to be seriously concerned about the future of their record-setting closer.
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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