In baseball, as in life, the best-laid plans aren’t always the best-laid plans.
The World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers learned that lesson Monday when they learned star closer Edwin Diaz would be lost at least until midseason after surgery to clear out loose bodies in his right elbow.
Hefty Contract
Diaz is in the first year of a three-year, $69 million contract that pays him an annual average of $23 million – a record for any closer. The contract, signed last December, also included a $9 million signing bonus, $4.5 million deferred annually, and an option for 2029.
The Puerto Rican power pitcher signed the three-year deal with the Dodgers despite the fact that the Atlanta Braves offered him five years. The incumbent New York Mets, who sought to keep him, fell just short in the bidding.
Diaz was one of the top prizes of the most recent free-agent market along with another Mets mainstay, slugging first baseman Pete Alonso. With those iconic players, New York entered play Tuesday with an 11-game losing streak, their longest in 24 years.
Dodger Prizes
The wealthy Dodgers, whose league-leading payroll is estimated at $415,883,912 million by Spotrac, signed both Diaz and Kyle Tucker, widely considered the best closer and best hitter available through free agency.
But Diaz has been struggling and looked especially vulnerable Sunday when his velocity was down in a 9-6 loss against the last-place Colorado Rockies.
“We all saw the stuff last night, and it sent up red flags,” said manager Dave Roberts before Monday’s final game of the four-game set at Denver’s Coors Field.
“After the game, he had a conversation with our training staff and said that he had some elbow discomfort. We just wanted to be proactive and felt that it was smart to get an MRI and get imaging. It showed loose bodies.
“That happens with players but it just kind of came to a head last night. We felt he should get the surgery and expect a second-half return.”
That surgery is already scheduled for Wednesday at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic, which bears the name of Dr. Frank Jobe, pioneer of the ligament replacement surgery named for former Dodgers star Tommy John.
Second Surgery
This is the second major injury incurred by Diaz during his 10-year tenure in the majors. He missed the entire 2023 season after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee while jumping on the mound in celebration of a win for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
Diaz pitched in just six games this season for the Dodgers, allowing seven earned runs in six innings but striking out 10 hitters. He has averaged 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings over the course of his career.
The 6-3, 165-pound right-hander broke into the big leagues with the Seattle Mariners but was traded to the Mets in a seven-man trade on Dec. 3, 2018.
He had just saved a career-best 57 games for Seattle while posting a 1.96 ERA. He twice posted 32-save seasons after joining the Mets, twice averaging more than 17 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
An All-Star three times, Diaz was considered the last link in a team designed to win a third straight world championship – a feat no team has accomplished since the 2000 Yankees.
Possible Closers
Without him, Roberts will have to rely on Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Brusdar Graterol, Ben Casparius, Will Klein, River Ryan, and Edgardo Henriquez. None can match the credentials or experience of Diaz.
The team could also move second-year starter Roki Sasaki back to relief work following his success in the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
In the meantime, Diaz was placed on the Los Angeles injured list with no timetable given for his return pending the success of his surgery.
The Dodgers entered play Wednesday with a best-in-baseball 15-6 record, one-half game ahead of the surging San Diego Padres in the National League West.
