Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers placed Edwin Díaz on the IL with neck inflammation. Since returning from having loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow, he has been bad.

On Monday, Díaz pitched with a tremendous lead, but he allowed three runs in the ninth inning. His arm slot was much lower than it was with the New York Mets.  His fastball had satisfactory velocity, but one was 93 miles per hour.  It was flat. His slider had no bite. He couldn’t change the hitter’s eye level.

As a Dodger, Díaz’s physical ailments have affected his performance. Since coming back from elbow surgery, he has one win and two losses with a 15.88 ERA. Most baseball-knowledge people suspected something was wrong with Díaz.

Díaz will see Dr. Robert Watkins on Wednesday and get imaging. He and the Dodgers hope to find out what is going on in Díaz’s neck.

According to Dave Roberts, the Dodgers expect Díaz back before the end of the season. Some Dodger fans are mad at Díaz and saying he has been a bust.

Díaz has been hurt, and it happens to every baseball player. In Díaz’s absence, Tanner Scott will close games for the Dodgers. After a difficult first year in a Dodger uniform, Scott has been great. The Dodgers hope Díaz will bounce back from a difficult 2026 season and have a superb 2027 season.