The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Edwin Díaz is set to undergo surgery to address the loose bodies in his right elbow that forced him onto the 15-day injured list on Monday.
Díaz is expected to miss around three months of the season, according to Alden González of ESPN.
Díaz will undergo surgery on Wednesday at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic, and the club expects him to return in the second half of the season.
Díaz has made just one appearance since April 10, which came on Sunday afternoon. His fastball velocity was still down significantly, and he failed to retire any of the four hitters he faced.
Díaz first started experiencing health problems after blowing a save on April 10, but the Dodgers publicly downplayed any concern.
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz is slated to undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, according to a source. The expectation is he’ll miss somewhere in the neighborhood of three months. @FabianArdaya was first on the procedure.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) April 20, 2026
The Dodgers later shared that Díaz reported knee discomfort after that outing, but again said there was no real concerns with his health.
Díaz’s knee trouble was also blamed for the early-season drop in velocity. It was part of a trend that the 32-year-old assured is par for the course since having right knee surgery in 2023.
Díaz’s average fastball velocity was just 95.4 mph on Sunday, down from the 97.2 mph he averaged last season.
Their tune finally changed after Sunday’s game when Roberts expressed real concern with Díaz’s health for the first time. He also called on the reliever to be honest with his health and noted the organization is just trying to protect him.
Roberts also said Díaz was “very receptive” to that message about reporting his health honestly so they can err on the side of caution.
Díaz holds a 10.50 ERA, 4.96 FIP and 2.33 WHIP to go along with four saves in five opportunities this season. He still managed to strike out 30.3% of hitters faced, but his walk rate skyrocketed to 15.2%.
Dodgers without Edwin Díaz
Without him, the Dodgers figure to rely on Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia in save opportunities. Roberts will likely rely on a closer by committee, rather than giving all the opportunities to one pitcher.
Jake Eder was recalled to replace Díaz on the roster. He was previously acquired via trade with the Washington Nationals.
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