Why the Dodgers Are Using Edwin Díaz in Low-Leverage Spots After His Return
Edwin Díaz is back with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he is not stepping into the closer's role he was hired to fill. When he returned from the injured list on Friday, the 32-year-old right-hander worked a scoreless ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants. That sounds like a save situation. It was not. The Dodgers led by six runs, and Dave Roberts acknowledged that without that cushion, Díaz would not have been on the mound.
A Return Without the Ninth-Inning Job
Díaz signed with the Dodgers last offseason on a three-year contract, with the club expecting him to anchor the back of the bullpen. That plan fell apart quickly. He struggled in the opening weeks, then underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in April to remove loose bodies. The procedure cost him about three and a half months. A second injured list stint followed in August, this time for neck inflammation.
The corresponding move Friday was notable in its own way: right-hander Landon Knack was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, a day after throwing four scoreless innings against the Cincinnati Reds. Knack's demotion made room for a pitcher the Dodgers once viewed as a cornerstone of their late-inning plans.
Numbers That Can't Be Ignored
The results since Díaz arrived have been poor. ESPN reports he is 2-2 with an 11.85 ERA in 16 games. True Blue LA notes that he has allowed runs in nine of those appearances, with 19 strikeouts and 10 walks in 13⅔ innings. His expected ERA, according to MLB.com, sits at 6.37. That is not a closer's profile.
Díaz made five rehab appearances during his second stint on the injured list. According to ESPN, he allowed six runs and struck out four in 4⅓ innings in those outings. That did little to rebuild trust. Roberts made the standard clear when asked about Díaz's path forward: it should be a meritocracy.