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New York Mets Dodged Disaster With Injured Reliever

Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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New York Mets Dodged Disaster With Injured Reliever

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI
By Mike Phillips | Last updated Apr 21, 2026 10:00 AM ET

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Things are going quite poorly for the New York Mets, who have the worst record in the National League and are riding an 11-game losing streak. There is, however, a scenario where things could have gone far worse.

Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Edwin Díaz will have surgery on Wednesday to remove loose bodies from his elbow. He is expected to return during the second half of the season.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 20, 2026

Reliever Edwin Diaz, who the Mets wanted to re-sign last winter to team with Devin Williams , is headed to the injured list for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Diaz, whose velocity has been down to start the season, will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow and is expected to miss three months.

Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz is slated to undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, according to a source. The expectation is he’ll miss somewhere in the neighborhood of three months. @FabianArdaya was first on the procedure.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) April 20, 2026

The Dodgers can afford to withstand the loss of Diaz since they have a group of capable relievers to fill in his absence. Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott figure to mix in for saves while Diaz is out, but the fact that Diaz went down so early with an injury is a sign that the Mets did make the right call not to go crazy to bid for his services.

The Dodgers place closer Edwin Diaz on the IL with loose bodies in his elbow and bring up Jake Eder.
Diaz, who has a 10.50 ERA, had pitched only once in the past nine days and was rocked Sunday, failing to retire any of the 4 batters he faced.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 20, 2026

Most Of David Stearns' Departure Decisions For The Mets Have Been The Correct Ones

One of the big priorities for David Stearns in the offseason was to shake up a core group that hadn't done enough winning for the Mets. The collapse to end the 2025 season meant Stearns moved on from Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso and Diaz to reshape the Mets' roster, and only the Nimmo for Marcus Semien trade has made him look bad.

Nimmo is off to a flying start for the Texas Rangers, hitting .311 with four home runs, 11 RBI and a .908 OPS. The big difference is that Texas returned Nimmo to the leadoff spot, a place he is far more comfortable hitting, and somewhere he wouldn't end up in the current Mets' roster configuration.

Stearns himself would probably admit he expected to lose the Nimmo trade in the short term, instead using the opportunity to clear longer term dollars for the Mets. McNeil has been off to an average start for the A's while Alonso has been on a cold spell to start the season in Baltimore, which is a bit worrisome when he signed a five-year contract.

Diaz was the one player of the group the Mets wanted to retain, but he chose to leave for the Dodgers after feeling the Mets didn't make him enough of a priority in the offseason. Although Williams has been off to an uneven start as the Mets' closer, he will at least be pitching for the next three months, which is more than the Dodgers can say for Diaz.

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This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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