Dodgers’ Edwin Diaz Speaks About Friday’s Struggles
Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz blew a save for the first time in 2026 on Friday, and revealed the issues he had during the outing. The right-hander allowed three runs in an inning, allowing the Texas Rangers back into the game in the ninth inning. Diaz said he didn’t have any physical issues despite his velocity being down, and that his fastball has taken some time to get up to speed since suffering a season-ending injury in 2023, per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
Edwin Díaz said he isn’t dealing with anything physically. Felt during the outing Friday he didn’t have his usual life on his fastball, but said he’s had issues with early-season fastball velocity every season since injuring his knee in the 2023 WBC. https://t.
co/lc4iMwGYWT — Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 12, 2026 The right-hander spent all of 2023 on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury during Team Puerto Rico’s celebrations after beating Team Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic that year. Manager Dave Roberts had the same message about Diaz’s fitness, and said he has a shot at playing in the series finale prior to Saturday’s game. “He was down today,” Roberts said.
“…The velocity was down (Friday), so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. ” Roberts echoed his thoughts ahead of Sunday’s series finale as well. “Right now, looking at the velocity, some things he’s dealt with in the past.
” Roberts said. “I’m going to see how he feels and talk to the trainers and see where we go. ” Dave Roberts says he’s confident there’s no physical issues with Edwin Diaz right now: “Right now, looking at the velocity, some things he’s dealt with in the past.