Edwin Diaz joined the Los Angeles Dodgers with just one goal in mind – locking down the ninth inning. But his first season with the franchise hasn’t been remotely close to what he or anyone expected, with his ERA dropping from 3.00 in March to 11.85 in August. Injury troubles had him out for over three months, and upon his return in July, the promise he showed could be labeled sub-optimal, at best. And now, the final blow has been served: he is no longer a closer after being put on IL.

Though his drive to return to that prized position he excels at is as strong as it ever was, Diaz acknowledged that his performance has been subpar this year.

“That’s why they signed me here, to be the closer, you know. But I haven’t pitched good this year,” the right-hander bluntly admitted to the Sporting Tribune’s Fredo Cervantes on Sunday. “So, like I said, Tanner [Scott] is doing a really good job. I’m really happy for him. And my hope is to keep doing it well like he’s doing it right now.”

Diaz underwent a surgical procedure to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow in April. It took him over three months to reclaim his spot on the active roster on July 29 against the Seattle Mariners. Although he recorded his fifth save of the season, Diaz allowed two hits and one run without striking out a single batter over an inning. He returned the very next day with a much more promising performance, striking two of four batters he faced. But it went downhill again in August. 

The 32-year-old gave 13 hits and 10 runs over 5.2 innings (seven appearances). He also blew three saves in that span. A closer who started the season with a 3.00 ERA in March now has an 11.85 ERA. What’s worse is that his performance cost him the very role the Dodgers had offered him a three-year, $69 million deal for in December. And the cut deepened with the franchise placing him on the 15-day IL beginning Tuesday, August 18, because of neck inflammation. 

But he didn’t shy away from the issues that are impacting his performance. In fact, he acknowledged that a dropped arm angle is the main concern for both his shape and his pitches going flat. And the neck injury just heightened those concerns. 

But a clean MRI will allow him and the Dodgers to work on his throws. Diaz mentioned that his fastballs weren’t going the way he wanted them to. And the sliders were somewhat going flat. Hopefully, the IL stint will allow him to improve both before he is eligible to return on September 2.

But simply getting back on the roster isn’t his aim. Edwin Diaz wants his original role back. 

Tanner Scott Has Made Diaz’s Challenge Harder

After Dave Roberts removed Diaz from closing duties, Tanner Scott was the perfect replacement. After Sunday’s outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he has a 2.24 ERA this season. That goes alongside his 19 saves and 12 holds, with his 64 strikeouts over 52.1 innings being equally impressive. Hence, to reclaim his spot, Diaz has fierce competition.

For Scott, this is as good an opportunity as he will get to prove himself as a closer. He went through a procedure for a lower-body medical abscess in 2025. That made him miss the postseason with the Dodgers. So, he is raring to prove his October potential.

Meanwhile, Diaz accepts the reality as is. He admitted that, “I’m good with the decision because I know I haven’t done my job. If I’d done my job, I’d be pitching in the ninth inning.”

Fortunately, his recent setbacks haven’t had a huge impact on the team. On the contrary, the Dodgers have made a strong comeback this month. They started August with seven consecutive losses, before defeating Arizona in Game 2 of 3. Building on that momentum, the Dodgers swept Kansas City next, before losing a series to Milwaukee and bouncing back with six consecutive wins to triumph over Colorado and Pittsburgh. 

Team manager Dave Roberts recently admitted that they “were in a dark place” a few weeks ago. But safe to say they are emphatically past that phase. The Dodgers are currently leading the NL West with an 80-51 record, nine wins clear of the San Diego Padres in second. They will reach the playoffs comfortably. But Edwin Diaz’s path to full recovery will be in focus and important to achieving their three-peat dream.