Concerns About Edwin Diaz’s Recent Performance

Several aspects may have influenced Edwin Diaz’s outing on Sunday.

For starters, he returned to the mound for the first time in nine days, and, well, Coors Field isn’t exactly known as a pitcher’s haven. Plus, he was thrust into a situation that likely felt unmanageable.

Normally, you might not worry too much about this sort of thing, but given Diaz’s critical role for the Dodgers, his difficult performance raised quite a few eyebrows—especially considering he’s their $69 million closer.

Manager Dave Roberts shared his thoughts with reporters in Colorado, saying, “Today was a tough call. It really was, because I know what it’s supposed to look like. And when it’s not like that, it’s a little worrying, honestly.”

While Diaz did reach 97 mph during the game, his overall fastball velocity seemed to be dipping, which led Roberts to suspect there could be a physical issue at play. He mentioned he would definitely have a conversation about it.

“We need to know more,” Roberts added.

Unfortunately for Diaz, he couldn’t record even a single out in the eighth inning during a 9-6 loss to the Rockies. While certain inconsistencies with Aki Sasaki might not derail the Dodgers entirely, a Diaz struggling to find his form could shift the season’s trajectory, which is likely why Roberts looked somewhat anxious about that eighth inning.

A combination of knee issues and a lack of save chances kept Diaz sidelined for over a week, and Roberts was intent on bringing the All-Star right-hander back to pitch. Unfortunately, the pitcher that took the mound wasn’t quite who they had hoped for.

Diaz’s first pitch was low, leading to a single off Willi Castro. After a walk to Kyle Karros and a couple of missed sliders, the bases loaded up as Brenton Doyle bunted. It didn’t get any better—Edouard Julien ended up driving in two runs. Shockingly, the first fastball Diaz threw to Julien clocked in at just 92.8 mph.

Roberts commented, “I had no command at all and it slowed me down. Obviously, it wasn’t a salvageable situation. Maybe it was the adrenaline, or the lack of it.”

The Dodgers definitely hope things improve; otherwise, they may face bigger problems. In his previous outing, Diaz had struggled to complete a save and experienced discomfort in his right knee—a nagging issue stemming from a ligament tear he suffered while celebrating for Puerto Rico during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. That injury required surgery, keeping him out for the entire season until recently.

Diaz attributed the decline in his ball speed to that knee issue but claimed he felt ready to pitch again. So, maybe it’s still acting up, but what if it’s not? What if the circumstances of your classic Coors Field, the long layoff, and the lack of save situations are playing a role?

This could suggest that Diaz isn’t the elite pitcher the Dodgers believed they signed.

Investing a large sum in a relief pitcher is always a gamble, yet the Dodgers thought Diaz’s solid track record would mitigate the risk. They’ve previously given big contracts to stars like Kenley Jansen. If they thought Diaz could reach that level, then his three-year deal would make perfect sense—especially with ambitions for a three-peat this season.

So far, however, Diaz’s performance feels more like the struggles of Tanner Scott in 2025 than a prime Jansen. His ERA jumped from 6.00 to 10.50 after Sunday’s game.

While two rough outings might not warrant a full-blown alarm, they are concerning enough to signal a warning. For now, it seems the Dodgers won’t need to trade for another closer or shuffle their bullpen—but there’s clearly something that can’t be overlooked, given the potential consequences.