The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without closer Edwin Diaz for roughly three months, reports Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. The All-Star reliever is slated to undergo surgery for loose bodies in his elbow.
Diaz was blasted for three earned runs against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. He failed to record an out. It was his first outing in more than a week, though the Dodgers had maintained that he was healthy. He’ll now be sidelined through the All-Star break.
Los Angeles Dodgers to be Without Edwin Diaz for Three Months
The Dodgers handed Diaz a hefty three-year, $69 million contract this past offseason. All the club has to show for it so far is four saves, which came with a 10.50 ERA and diminished velocity. Diaz sat at 95.7 mph on his heater through seven appearances with LA. That’s a 1.5 mph decline from his final year with the New York Mets.
Diaz had a strong 30.3% strikeout rate across six innings, but the underlying metrics suggested he didn’t have his same swing-and-miss stuff. The 32-year-old had just a 9.1% swinging-strike rate so far this year. That’s a rough mark for any pitcher, but it’s a particularly steep decline for Diaz. He had nearly double that number in 2025 at 18.0%. Diaz has a 18.4% swinging-strike rate for his career. He was doing a nice job generating called strikes, but the end result was still. career-worst 28.8% CSW%.
A three-time All-Star, Diaz has been one of the most effective relievers in the game for nearly a decade. He put together a transcendent 57-save season with the Seattle Mariners in 2018. That led to a blockbuster trade to the Mets, along with second baseman Robinson Cano. The Mariners netted elite prospects Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn in the exchange. Seattle also received Gerson Bautista, Anthony Swarzak, and Jay Bruce.
Diaz put up five seasons of 20+ saves during his six years in New York. His only miss was the shortened 2020 campaign. Diaz capped off his time with the Mets with a ridiculous 1.63 ERA across 66.1 innings. It was his largest workload since 2018.
Who Will Replace Diaz as the Dodgers’ Closer?
The Dodgers will need a new stopper for at least a few months. There’s no guarantee Diaz will make it back this season, or that he’ll return to his normal form. Tanner Scott seems like the logical choice to replace Diaz. The former Miami Marlins reliever was brought in on a considerable four-year, $72 million deal ahead of the 2025 season. Scott secured 23 saves in his first year with the Dodgers, though it came with an unsightly 4.74 ERA.
Walks were typically the issue for Scott during his tenure with the Marlins and even back to his time with the Baltimore Orioles. He cleaned that up with the Dodgers. Scott had a career-best 7.6% walk rate in 2025. He’s followed it up with 8.2 innings without a walk this season.
Alex Vesia could also factor into the closer role. The lefty already has two saves this year. He’s tossed 8.2 scoreless frames while striking out more than a batter per inning. Vesia has locked down five saves in each of the past two campaigns.
Dodgers Reveal Injury Timeline for Edwin Diaz