Dodgers’ Edwin Diaz opens up about elbow surgery recovery

The last thing the Los Angeles Dodgers expected when they signed their new closer, Edwin Diaz, was an injury so quickly into the season, but the right-hander went down with an elbow injury in the first month. Luckily for Diaz and the Dodgers, he expects to be ready after the All-Star break, which could’ve been much worse given it was an issue with his throwing arm, according to DodgersBeat via X, formerly Twitter.

Diaz had a rough start to his Dodgers career, allowing an earned run in three of his first five appearances. However, it was the final two appearances that made the Dodgers wonder if there was a bigger problem going on with their closer.

Against the Texas Rangers, he allowed three hits, three earned runs, and a walk, but managed to get through the entire inning. The next outing against the Colorado Rockies was somehow even worse, allowing four hits, three earned runs, and a walk without recording an out.

The Dodgers went searching for a new closer in the offseason after their bullpen’s inconsistency during the postseason. Roki Sasaki became their primary closer after he struggled as a starter during the season, but returned to the rotation this season.

Sasaki is struggling again, raising questions about whether he should return to the role he locked down last season. The Dodgers need a reliable closer until after the All-Star break, and you can’t have too many bullpen arms in the postseason. Teams having to face a one-two punch of Sasaki and Diaz in the later innings could lead to a third-straight World Series.