The early-season struggles of Edwin Díaz reached its logical conclusion on Monday, with the Dodgers closer placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of the team’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver. The team says Díaz has loose bodies in his right elbow.
Díaz is averaging just 95.7 mph on his four-seam fastball this season, a mile and a half lower than his previous low, which rang alarm bells over the last two weeks. After blowing a save on April 10 at Dodger Stadium by allowing three runs in the ninth inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Díaz was day-to-day as they tried to figure out the issues.
Sunday was Díaz’s first appearance since, and he did not retire any of his four batters faced in Denver, and allowed three more runs. Roberts was perplexed after the game at Coors Field, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:
“Today was a tough evaluation. I mean, it really was,” Roberts said. “Because I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really. And so, I’ll have a conversation with him. I know our training staff, and pitching guys will, and make sure that there is nothing to it, because the radar gun has been consistent, and his velocity been consistent in that, and it wasn’t there today.
That knowledge came in the form of loose bodies in the right elbow of Díaz, who to this point had maintained he is healthy.
The Dodgers have limited healthy and available pitching options on their 40-man roster, with both River Ryan and Paul Gervase on the injured list in Triple-A Oklahoma City. Ronan Kopp, who was just added to the 40-man roster in November, pitched Friday and Sunday for the Comets. Right-hander Chayce McDermott, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles last Thursday, pitched on Saturday in Triple-A.
That left Jake Eder, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals on April 1, and qualifies as part of the fresh arm express, having last pitched last Thursday for Oklahoma City, throwing 17 pitches in his one inning of work, and allowed two runs on three hits. In three games with the Comets this season, the left-hander Eder has allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts and two walks.
Since Díaz’s last save, on April 7, the Dodgers have recorded two saves, both by Alex Vesia.