Edwin Díaz is absolutely unraveling on his rehab assignment, and honestly, after Sunday’s disaster, it’s pretty clear he’s got no shot at a postseason roster spot this year. The guy signed a record-setting deal last offseason, but his first year with the Dodgers has just been a lost cause, thanks to a pair of injuries and now this neck inflammation. It’s rough to watch.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Díaz Is Off the Rails
Sunday’s outing with Oklahoma City was brutal. Díaz faced eight batters and somehow only retired two of them. He coughed up two singles, walked three guys, and even hit another batter. He did get one strikeout, but it was ugly. By the time he left, three runs were already in, and two of the runners he left on base scored later. His pitch count? A shocking 13 strikes on 30 pitches. That’s the third time in four rehab appearances he’s thrown more balls than strikes, which is just wild. Over his last four games in Triple-A, spanning eight days, Díaz has given up six runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Add seven walks, four strikeouts, a hit batter, 46 balls, and 40 strikes to that line. It just does not scream “ready to contribute,” you know? With only two weeks left in the regular season, it makes way more sense for the Dodgers to look ahead to 2027 for him than to activate a veteran closer struggling this badly.
Bubic’s Breakthrough & Gelof’s Power Surge
Meanwhile, on the flip side of rehab, Kris Bubic is absolutely dealing. This guy is getting outs! On Sunday, also for Oklahoma City, Bubic tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings, racking up three strikeouts. He was a starter before the Dodgers traded for him from the Royals back on August 3, but they’re grooming him for relief now. He’s been on the 60-day IL battling elbow and shoulder soreness, but right now? Bubic looks healthy and locked in. Across six appearances in Triple-A over two weeks, he’s thrown 5 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up only two singles and two walks, with nine strikeouts from 21 batters faced. That’s a ridiculous 42.9-percent strikeout rate!
And talk about making a statement: infielder Jake Gelof just capped off an unbelievable regular season with Double-A Tulsa, smashing another home run on Sunday. That’s his 34th dinger of the year, setting a modern-era Tulsa record, blowing past Tim Wheeler’s 2011 mark. Gelof, the Dodgers’ second-round pick in 2023 out of Virginia, where he also set a home run record, has had his best pro season ever, hitting .271/.285/.565 with a 138 wRC+ while playing all over the infield at third, second, and first. The kid is a monster.
It was a wild Sunday for Oklahoma City, with Díaz’s five charged runs being the only ones they gave up in a loss to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. That loss actually snapped OKC’s insane 14-game win streak, too. Cole Irvin started and went 4 2/3 innings, but the big story is clear: one pitcher’s struggle, another’s impressive return, and a future slugger making history. With the regular season winding down, it’s all about who steps up and who fades away. Let’s see what these next two weeks bring.
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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