Edwin Díaz’s velocity is down, Dodgers say he’s day to day
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 10, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Díaz (3)sits in the dugout after blowing a save giving up three runs to the Texas Rangers in the ninth inning on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES — With a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Saturday night, the Dodgers opted not to use closer Edwin Díaz, whom they signed to a record-setting contract in December. His velocity is down, but Díaz says he’s not hurt, and the Dodgers say they don’t think it’s a mechanical issue.
Díaz may or may not be available on Sunday. “Just talking to the pitching guys, looking at the velocity and some of the things he’s dealt with in the past, it’s a day-to-day thing,” manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. “I’m going to see how he feels in catch play and talk to the trainers and pitching guys, see where we go and make a decision from there.
“I’m confident right now, because everything I hear is he feels fine. For me, you hear it, you want to completely trust it, but you’re also looking at the [radar] gun and making sure. We’re treading lightly, and giving him the benefit of the doubt, and still watching.
” Díaz on Friday night blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning and threw 23 pitches . On Saturday night, manager Roberts said Díaz was unavailable due to the previous night’s workload, which completely tracks with the team’s bullpen deployment in the first three weeks of the season. Thus far, there have been only eight instances of a pitcher throwing on back-to-back days, including Díaz on March 27-28.
Only one of those outings on no days rest came the day after throwing more than 17 pitches — Edgardo Henríquez threw 25 pitches on April 3 in Washington D. C. , then was used the next day in a very low-leverage situation, up by six runs to get the final three outs in the ninth inning.