NEW YORK -- It's only a matter of time before the trumpets will sound at Dodger Stadium once more.
Closer Edwin Díaz, who is on the 60-day injured list after having surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow at the end of April, began a rehab assignment with Single-A Ontario on July 11. The Dodgers don't have a set timeline for his return to action, but the hope is that he'll be activated not long after the All-Star break.
Here's a rundown of what to know about Díaz's rehab assignment:
How did he perform?
On Friday, Díaz tossed a scoreless fourth inning for Ontario, fanning two and allowing no hits.
In his first two outings in Single-A and the Arizona Complex League, Díaz struck out four and allowed just one hit in two scoreless innings.
What's next?
Díaz will pitch on back-to-back days at some point before returning to the Dodgers. He could do that during the week of July 20, potentially lining him up to be activated not long afterward. It's a possibility that he could return against his former team, the Mets, at Citi Field, but it may be more likely that he returns during the Dodgers' next homestand.
What are they saying?
Díaz last pitched for the Dodgers on April 19. His rehab assignment may not need to be very long because he's preparing for a one-inning role, but L.A. wants to be sure that he's ready to return to leverage as soon as he's active again.
"I want to put him and put us in the best possible position to have success," manager Dave Roberts said. "He's got to assure us that he's in a good spot to close out Major League games."
What else?
Before he went on the IL, a notable concern was that Díaz's fastball averaged 95.7 mph, down from 97.2 mph in 2025. The Dodgers believe that his higher velocity will return now that the loose bodies have been removed from his elbow.
In Díaz's absence, the Dodgers have gone with a closer-by-committee approach in theory, but Tanner Scott has gotten the bulk of the save opportunities in practice. Once Díaz is activated from the IL, Scott should shift back to a setup role.