Dave Roberts already knows how he wants to handle Edwin Díaz‘s return: no ninth-inning heroics right away. The Dodgers manager told The Athletic’s Katie Woo that he’d rather ease Díaz back through low-leverage situations before gradually rebuilding him toward the closer role. The comment came four days after Díaz landed on the IL for the second time this season — this time with right-side neck inflammation — and with an 11.85 ERA that makes his first year in Los Angeles one of the roughest starts for a high-dollar closer in recent memory.
What Roberts Said and Why It Matters Now
According to Woo’s report, Roberts would prefer to see Díaz in low-leverage outings — comfortable leads, low-stakes innings, no fire to put out — before handing him the ninth inning back. It’s not an official demotion, but it’s the clearest signal yet that the Dodgers aren’t going to throw him back into the deep end.
The timing helps. Los Angeles sits at 75-51 with an 8-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West. That cushion gives Roberts the luxury of treating Díaz’s return as a medical ramp-up rather than a tactical emergency. If the lead were two games, this conversation would sound very different.
The Season Díaz Would Like to Forget
The backstory to Roberts’ plan is the worst individual season any elite-contract closer has put together this decade. Díaz arrived from the New York Mets last winter on a 3-year, $69 million deal after posting a 1.63 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings, and 28 saves in 2025. On paper, he was the most dominant closer in baseball.
In his first Dodgers season, Díaz missed time from April 20 through July 29 after surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. When he came back, things got worse. He allowed 11 earned runs in 7.2 innings after his return, posted a 12.91 ERA in that stretch, and blew 3 of his last 5 save opportunities before heading back to the IL on August 18 with the neck issue. The team’s medical staff clarified that the cervical injury is unrelated to the elbow surgery.
Roberts was candid before Díaz went back on the IL: «We don’t know if this is something that has been there the last week or so, but it showed its head last night,» he told reporters before the August 19 game against the Rockies in Denver, per MLB.com. A mystery injury surfacing in the second half is the last thing any team wants from its closer heading into October.
Tanner Scott: The Closer Nobody Asked For, Delivering Anyway
While Díaz has been piling up IL stints, Tanner Scott has made the closer role look surprisingly comfortable. In 2026, the left-hander carries a 2.20 ERA and 16 saves in 18 opportunities — just two blown saves all season. Those numbers are exactly why Roberts can afford patience with Díaz instead of urgency.
The low-leverage plan makes sense precisely because Scott exists. The Dodgers aren’t desperate for a closer; they’re trying to recover one they invested $69 million in. That’s a huge distinction. With Scott ready for the ninth, Roberts can slot Díaz into sixth- or seventh-inning work with comfortable leads, no crucial game on the line. If Díaz looks sharp in those spots, the October conversation changes. If he struggles again, Scott has already shown he can carry the role.
The Numbers Behind Díaz’s 2026
Díaz’s ERA looks worse than his underlying stuff suggests — Statcast says he’s been unluckier than the results show. Here’s where he stands across 16 games and 13.2 innings:
- ERA: 11.85 · WHIP: 2.56
- 19 strikeouts against 10 walks (24.1% strikeout rate)
- 7 saves
- xERA: 6.33 — what Statcast says he deserved based on contact quality
- Fastball: 96.3 mph average with 2,325 rpm spin rate
- Whiff rate: 22.3% of swings against him
- Batting average against: .385
- Exit velocity allowed: 92.5 mph
- Barrel rate allowed: 8.7%
For context, his fastball velocity ranks in the 79th percentile across MLB. The arm is still there. What Statcast can’t measure is how much confidence plays into the equation — and that’s something only the Dodgers will know once he’s back on the mound.
