Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz will undergo surgery on Wednesday to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the team announced.
“We all saw the stuff last night, and it sent up red flags,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters Monday. “After the game, he had a conversation with our training staff and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. Looking at what was going on last night, we just wanted to be proactive and felt that it was smart to get an MRI, get imaging, which we did do. It showed loose bodies. It happens with players, and it just kind of came to a head last night. We felt, get the surgery scheduled and expect a second-half return.”
Díaz is currently scheduled for surgery at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic on Wednesday for a procedure that the club hopes will help restore his velocity.
While the team stopped short of putting any kind of definitive timeline on his anticipated return to action, the team did say that it would be in the “second half” of the season. In a corresponding move, Diaz was placed on the 15-day IL as the team recalled left-handed pitcher Jake Eder from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
“I had that same surgery at the end of my career,” Roberts said. “Loose bodies are asymptomatic until they’re not, so I can relate to what he was going through. It just happened last night, and it’s unfortunate.”
“That’s the first time that he felt anything or there was any signs of it,” Roberts continued. “As soon as we found out, we tried to do something about it and get imaging. It was telling in giving us good information. It is good to have some validation on why the velocity was down.”
Díaz’s four-seam fastball has averaged anywhere from 97.2 to 99.1 mph over the last four seasons, but he was as low as 92.8 mph on Sunday at Coors Field leading to the concern from LA’s medical staff.
In his absence, the NL leading Dodgers will likely turn to a “closer by committee” approach for the time being. Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, and Blake Treinen all figure to play a role in Los Angeles’ late inning mix until a hot-hand emerges.
The Dodgers will wrap up their series against the Rockies on Monday night before kicking off an NL West showdown with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.
Photo: D. Benjamin Miller. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.