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Edwin Díaz is set to return to the Dodgers bullpen on Wednesday, and his arrival will push Tanner Scott out of the closer role he’s been filling during Díaz’s absence, per Dodger Blue. Díaz appeared in just seven games this season before undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, and the team has managed without him — but now they’re getting their intended ninth-inning weapon back.

Díaz has been one of baseball’s most electric closers when healthy. The former Mets closer came to Los Angeles with a resume that includes a 2022 season in which he posted a 1.31 ERA with 32 saves and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings — numbers that earned him a massive extension from New York before his eventual move west. Elbow issues have dogged him in recent years, though, and this latest surgery was another chapter in that frustrating pattern. Seven games is barely enough to establish a rhythm, so Wednesday’s return is essentially a fresh start. The Dodgers will need to manage his workload carefully, but when Díaz is right, he’s a top-tier closer with a slider that simply overwhelms hitters.

Scott, meanwhile, has done a more-than-credible job holding down the ninth inning in Díaz’s absence. The left-hander has been one of the better relievers in baseball over the past two seasons. He earned his first All-Star nod with the Marlins in 2024 before signing with the Dodgers, and his ability to get both lefties and righties out has made him indispensable. Moving him into a high-leverage setup role isn’t a demotion — it’s a luxury. Having a guy with Scott’s stuff pitching the seventh or eighth inning is the kind of depth that wins in October.

The Dodgers bullpen has dealt with a wave of injuries this season, and the fact that it’s held together reasonably well is a credit to the guys who stepped up. But getting Díaz back changes the complexion of the late-inning mix significantly. A back-end of Scott bridging to Díaz is a nasty combination — two power arms with swing-and-miss stuff who can shorten games in a hurry.

I like this setup a lot. Scott was never going to be the long-term closer with Díaz on the roster, and he’s shown he doesn’t need the save opportunities to be effective. Díaz stepping back into the ninth gives the Dodgers a clear hierarchy in the bullpen, and clarity matters down the stretch. The only question is whether Díaz can stay healthy and find his command quickly after a long layoff. That first outing on Wednesday will tell us a lot (and this one bears watching). If he’s sharp, this bullpen suddenly looks like one of the best in the National League heading into the deadline and beyond.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: July 27, 2026 3:39 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers