Edwin Diaz signed a three-year, $69 million contract in December. It made him baseball’s highest-paid reliever by average annual salary. His first season for the Los Angeles Dodgers has not matched that price tag.
Diaz opened the year on a rocky note. He allowed one run through his first five outings. Two rough appearances followed.
Doctors then found loose bodies in his right elbow. He had arthroscopic surgery and missed roughly 100 days.
He returned in late July and posted mixed results. The Dodgers placed him back on the injured list Aug. 18. This time, doctors diagnosed inflammation on the right side of his neck.
Diaz has an 11.85 ERA in 16 appearances this season. He has thrown 13 2/3 innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The right-hander has struck out 19 batters and walked 10.
That uneven form has created real uncertainty about his spot on the postseason roster.
Edwin Diaz’s Roster Spot Now in Doubt
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal addressed Diaz’s situation on the show “Foul Territory.” He said the Dodgers will pick their 26 best players, regardless of salary.
The club has called this year’s pitching staff its deepest ever heading into October.
Rosenthal added that if evaluators view Diaz as not good enough, the Dodgers will leave him off. Rosenthal called it a “win-at-all-costs kind of industry.”
Manager Dave Roberts has not guaranteed Diaz a spot either. “We have to go with our best pitchers,” Roberts said. Diaz has not pitched well enough yet during his rehab assignment.
He allowed five runs while recording two outs in his Sept. 13 outing. He is set for another rehab appearance Sept. 16, with an expected return in late September.
The stakes are real. The Dodgers clinched a playoff berth Monday with a win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Latest Updates on Edwin Diaz, Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers updated their injury report this week. Several key players remain sidelined heading into the stretch run.
Diaz remains on the 15-day injured list with neck inflammation. He is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Shohei Ohtani is on the 15-day injured list with a left knee and right biceps injury, retroactive to Sept. 8. He could return as a hitter as soon as Sept. 23. He is not expected to pitch again until 2027. He began a swing progression Sept. 15, hitting off a tee.
Outfielder Andy Pages has a fractured left hand. He landed on the 10-day injured list Aug. 22. He has progressed to hitting baseballs off a machine, with an expected return in late September as well.
Edwin Diaz Dealt Bad News on Future With Los Angeles Dodgers