When the Dodgers needed a closer to lock down a win on Sunday against the Rangers, their $69 million man, Edwin Diaz, was noticeably absent, raising immediate questions about his health and status. Is Diaz injured? Dodgers manager Dave Roberts put the rumors to rest.

“Dave Roberts said the Dodgers are still gonna ‘tread lightly’ with Edwin Diaz’s workload as he works to get his velocity up. His usage will be evaluated ‘day-to-day’ for now. Roberts clarified that the concern level with Diaz is low & that it’s not an IL thing we’re talking about,” MLB insider Jack Harris shared via X.

Diaz was brought in to lead the Dodgers’ bullpen. However, with a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Sunday, the team opted not to use closer Diaz. That sparked a lot of attention among fans about whether their prized possession was injured. However, according to Roberts, Diaz’s absence from the field is less about an injury and more about regenerating his velocity.

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Reportedly, Diaz is experiencing a slight early-season drop in velocity, averaging 95.8 mph on his four-seam fastball over his first six appearances with the Dodgers, down from 97.2 mph in 2025. By resting him on Sunday, the team tried to manage his workload, which seems like a smart move from Roberts.

Till now, there have been only eight examples of a pitcher throwing on back-to-back days, including Diaz on March 27-28. And this year, a Dodgers reliever has thrown at least 20 pitches in an outing ten times. But all those pitchers have been given at least one day off before pitching again, and in most cases, they received two or more days off. For Diaz, Sunday was his rest day.

If Roberts’ statement is not assuring enough, Diaz also shared his own thoughts. According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Diaz said he doesn’t have any physical issues despite his velocity being down. Moreover, his fastball has taken some time to get up to speed since suffering a season-ending injury in 2023. So, as the Dodgers are going slow with Diaz, it might help to bring the best out of him.

Edwin Diaz’s absence could be adjusted with Shohei Ohtani’s return

Yes, Ohtani has been with the Dodgers since Opening Day, but he was off to a slow start. Many believed it was only a matter of time before he found his form, and Sunday was that night. He hit a leadoff homer in the first inning, sparking the Dodgers to a 6-3 win over the Rangers. This was the Dodgers’ seventh victory in the last eight games.

It was reportedly Ohtani’s first home run of the season at Dodger Stadium, and it extended his on-base streak to 45 games. Just a day earlier, Ohtani overtook Ichiro Suzuki in terms of on-base streak. The only concern with Ohtani was his lack of power-hitting. Now that the hitting is back, the Dodgers have something to cheer about.

Now, getting Diaz back to his normal pitching speed would just be the icing on the cake for the Dodgers. This year, he had his best numbers against the Blue Jays. In that game, Diaz entered the ninth inning to secure a 4-1 victory. He secured three strikeouts while allowing only one hit and one walk in a scoreless inning.

Things seem to be falling right into place for the Dodgers. And leading the division with an 11-3 record, the Dodgers’ front office has no reason to rush Diaz.