Edwin Díaz may be nearing the end of his rehab assignment just in time for the final stretch of the regular season.
The Dodgers’ closer tossed a scoreless inning on Thursday night for Triple-A Oklahoma City, pitching in his second consecutive game. Díaz threw 18 pitches (10 strikes) while scattering one hit, recording one strikeout and one walk in his third rehab appearance. He has been sidelined since Aug. 18 with neck inflammation.
Díaz averaged 96.1 mph on the nine fastballs he threw and topped out at 97.9 mph. His diminished velocity has been a persistent red flag throughout the season, particularly before he underwent surgery in late April to remove loose bodies in his right elbow. Díaz’s 96.1 mph average fastball velocity is the lowest of his career.
On the flipside, Díaz generated four swings and misses on the nine sliders that he threw, including one for a strikeout. His whiff rate on sliders has dropped from 44% in 2025 to 27.5% in 2026.
Díaz has struggled in the first year of a three-year, $69 million contract that he signed with the Dodgers in the offseason. He’s pitched to a 11.85 ERA in 16 appearances with four blown saves in 11 opportunities, far from the dominant closer he has been for much of his career.
When Díaz does eventually return to the big league club, he is not expected to slot right into the closer’s role. He will be eased back into lower leverage situations where he can continue to refine his mechanics, like raising his arm angle that has fallen significantly from last season.
With Díaz sidelined, the Dodgers have primarily turned to left-hander Tanner Scott in the ninth inning.