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Edwin Díaz threw his first bullpen session since undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow, per Dodger Blue. The right-hander tossed 15 pitches on Friday, marking a significant step forward in his rehab timeline. Díaz has been on the injured list since April 20.

Díaz came to the Dodgers as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball over the past decade. The former Mets closer established himself as an elite arm with a devastating slider, earning All-Star honors and putting together a historic 2022 season in New York where he posted a 1.31 ERA with 32 saves and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings. The Dodgers brought him in knowing exactly what he could provide at the back end of the bullpen — a true shutdown presence with swing-and-miss stuff that can shorten games. Losing him in late April was a real blow, especially given how much this front office invested in upgrading the relief corps.

The loose bodies in his throwing elbow were the kind of issue that required surgical intervention but didn’t carry the same long-term concern as ligament damage. That’s the good news. The timeline from surgery to a bullpen session has been steady and apparently without setback, which is exactly what you want to see. Fifteen pitches is modest, but it’s the first rung on the ladder — you build from here to longer bullpen sessions, then live batting practice, then a rehab assignment.

For the Dodgers bullpen, this is a welcome development. The relief corps has held things together reasonably well in Díaz’s absence, but there’s a difference between getting by and having a closer with his pedigree available for high-leverage innings. We’ve seen other arms step up — Evan Phillips is working his way back from his own injury on a rehab assignment — and the potential to get both of those guys back in the fold over the coming weeks would significantly change the complexion of our late-inning options.

I wouldn’t expect Díaz back on the active roster for at least a few weeks. He’ll need to ramp up his pitch count, face live hitters, and get into some minor league games before the Dodgers feel comfortable putting him back in real situations. But the fact that he’s on the mound throwing and the surgery appears to have gone as planned is genuinely encouraging. If things continue on this track, we could have him back before the All-Star break or shortly after — right when the second-half push begins. That’s a significant bullpen addition without needing to make a trade.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: June 20, 2026 6:09 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers