Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz had some issues with a wet mound in a rainy outing Tuesday, but manager Dave Roberts liked what he saw.
Diaz allowed the first two batters of the inning to reach base, one with a hit by pitch and the other with a full count walk, before allowing a one run single to break up the shutout a couple of batters later. He got a handle on the unfavorable conditions afterwards, though, striking out the next two batters swinging to earn the Dodgers a win.
After the game, Roberts made it clear the mound’s wet condition made an impact on Diaz’s performance.
“Big time,” Roberts said of the mound’s effect. “It was good to see him lock in once the hit-batsman, the walk. But I do think it affected him. The footing with the pitchers is everything. And then when you’re landing, you don’t trust that you’re not going to slide and potentially hurt yourself. So that matters. But it was good to see him lock back in.”
Diaz joined the Dodgers in the offseason on a three-year, $69 million deal, and has shown he’s worth his large contract early into the 2026 season.
The veteran right-hander has made three appearances for the Dodgers so far, striking out four batters in three innings. He has converted both of his save opportunities this season, and the run he allowed Tuesday is the only one to cross on his watch so far this season.
What Can the Dodgers Expect from Edwin Diaz?
Over the past decade, Diaz has established himself as one of the best closers in baseball.
He has a career 2.83 ERA through 523 appearances, and has struck out 843 batters through 522.1 innings pitched. The right-hander had a 1.63 ERA through 62 appearances with the New York Mets in 2025, proving he still has the ability to post All-Star numbers following a season-long injury which kept him out for all of 2023.
Diaz has recorded as many as 57 saves in a single season, and has a spectacular conversion rate throughout his career.
The Dodgers are sure to lean on him in the closer role following their late-season collapse last season, and will hope he can deliver for them as he has for more than 10 years.
How did the Dodgers Win on Tuesday?
While Diaz struggled towards the beginning of his outing Tuesday, the Dodgers built up plenty of cushion before he came in.
They took the lead in the bottom of the fourth through Andy Pages, who drove in Will Smith with a single—the Dodgers’ third of the inning. Max Muncy doubled the Dodgers’ lead in the bottom of the sixth with his first home run of the new season, and LA tagged the Guardians for two more runs in the bottom of the eighth with Pages and Teoscar Hernandez logging back-to-back RBI singles.
Are you confident Edwin Diaz will bounce back under normal circumstances?
