Edwin Diaz Injury Update, Latest News on Dodgers Closer's Elbow And Timeline to Return

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Monday that closer Edwin Díaz has been placed on the injured list due to "right elbow loose bodies."

Pitcher Jake Eder has been recalled in a corresponding move.

He will undergo a procedure to address the injury, and it sounds as though he'll be on the shelf for several months:

Díaz, 32, has given up six runs, seven hits and two walks in his last two appearances. He didn't even register an out in Sunday's loss to the Colorado Rockies, which was his first appearance in nine days.

"Today was a tough evaluation," manager Dave Roberts told reporters after that performance. "I mean, it really was. Because I know what it's supposed to look like, and when it doesn't look like that, it gets a little concerning, really."

For the season he has a 10.50 ERA and 2.33 WHIP, and a loss at velocity seems to be a major culprit for the struggles.

As Owen Perkins of MLB.com noted, Díaz's four-seam fastball has "averaged from 97.2 to 99.1 mph over the last four seasons, but he is only averaging 95.7 mph so far this season, and he was as low as 92.8 mph on Sunday at Coors Field. He has only thrown six slower fastballs in his career."

"Our training staff and pitching guys will make sure that there is nothing to it," Roberts told reporters Sunday regarding the velocity dip. "Because the radar gun has been consistent, and his velocity has been consistent, and it wasn't there today. I need to know more."

One day later, it appears the answer was loose elbow bodies. The Dodgers will be hoping a spell on the injured list helps Díaz return to the form that has made him a three-time All-Star during his career (and earned him a three-year, $69 million deal with the Dodgers this winter).

The team's one weakness last season was its bullpen. While starting pitching depth allowed them to overcome it once the postseason hit, Díaz was supposed to help rectify the situation in 2026. That will now be put on hold.