The Los Angeles Dodgers are finally getting closer to adding a key bullpen arm back into the mix. Edwin Diaz, the right-handed reliever who had surgery in late April to clean out loose bone fragments from his elbow, is now ready to face live hitters again.
Dodgers insider Sonja M. Chen reported Sunday that Diaz will head back to the bullpen for live practice sessions. It’s a real milestone for a guy who’s been grinding through rehab since going under the knife about two and a half months ago.
Diaz told Chen that his elbow feels “way better than early in the season” and that he’s been encouraged by how his fastball has looked during the recovery process. That’s good news for a team that’s somehow held together its bullpen without one of the most electric arms in the game.
And here’s the thing — the Dodgers haven’t exactly missed a beat. Los Angeles rolled off a 28-inning scoreless streak back in May, and a group of relievers including Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Tanner Scott and Will Klein have done the heavy lifting while Diaz recovered. The bullpen hasn’t been a weak spot; it’s been a strength.
Dodgers Keep Rolling Without Their Star Closer
The Dodgers hit 60 wins just after the Fourth of July, and they extended their winning streak to three games on Independence Day by blanking the San Diego Padres 3-0 at Dodger Stadium. That’s eight straight innings of shutdown baseball against a division rival, and it’s starting to feel like a trend.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the star of that game, spinning a gem that included 10 strikeouts. He mixed his curveball, splitter, sinker and four-seam fastball in ways that left the Padres looking lost at the plate. San Diego managed just four hits all night inside Chavez Ravine.
That win pushed Los Angeles’ lead in the NL West to a staggering 15 games. It’s not even August, and the division race is basically over. The real question now is how this team looks when the playoffs start — and getting Diaz back would be a huge part of that answer.
There’s no firm timeline for his return yet, but live bullpen sessions are a major checkpoint. If everything goes well, Diaz could be back in time for the stretch run. The Dodgers don’t need to rush him, and they won’t. But having a weapon like that waiting in the wings? That’s the kind of problem a contending team loves to have.
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