Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the team announced. The expectation is that the reliever could sit out around three months, a source told ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez on Monday.
Los Angeles put Diaz, 32, on the 15-day injured list before the team’s 12-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, adding in a statement that he’d be back “during the second half of the season.” In a corresponding move, the Dodgers recalled left-hander Jake Eder, 27, from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
A right-handed veteran in his first season with the club, Diaz has four saves and 10 strikeouts, with a 10.50 ERA. On Sunday, in a loss to the Rockies at Coors Field, the veteran gave up three runs without recording an out.
“Obviously, we all saw the stuff last night, and it set up red flags,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Diaz’s performance Sunday. “After the game, he had a conversation with our training staff, and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. … We just wanted to be proactive, and felt that it was smart to get him an MRI.”
During his pregame media availability at Coors Field on Monday, Roberts added that no ligament damage was seen in Diaz’s imaging and that the injury is limited to the loose bodies. The surgery will take place at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles.
“It was the first time he felt it,” Roberts said of the discomfort. “Not to make it about by myself, but I had that same surgery at the end of my career. … So, I can actually relate to what he’s going through. … It’s unfortunate.”
Diaz spent the past seven years with the New York Mets, accumulating 144 saves while turning into a fan favorite at Citi Field. Then, he opted out of his contract in the offseason, watched as the Mets brought in a potential replacement in Devin Williams and jumped at the opportunity to join the Dodgers, who signed him to a three-year, $69 million contract.
“I think this is a really good team,” Diaz said last month after securing his first save as a Dodger. “I think we’ve got a lot of good players here. I think if everyone stays healthy, this team has the chance to win, three-peat. Let’s cross our fingers that everyone stays healthy and keeps winning baseball games.”
Roberts also told reporters, in the early going without Diaz, that the Dodgers probably would use a committee approach in the ninth inning.
“I do feel comfortable with a handful of guys, really, that I feel can close out games for us,” he said. “So, right now, I’m not going to name a closer.”
Designated for assignment earlier this month by the Washington Nationals, Eder went 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 18⅓ innings of relief for the Los Angeles Angels last season.
