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The Dodgers are keeping Edwin Díaz as their closer — and they have multiple reasons for doing so. Per Dodger Blue, Díaz took another step toward finding his rhythm in his return from right elbow surgery by retiring the side in his latest outing, a small but welcome sign after a first season in Los Angeles that has not gone according to plan.

Díaz signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers expecting to be the dominant, high-leverage weapon he was during his peak years with the Mets. At his best, he’s one of the most electric relievers in baseball — his slider is a genuine swing-and-miss pitch that can make major league hitters look completely overmatched. But the recovery from right elbow surgery has complicated everything. The stuff hasn’t consistently been where it needs to be, the results have been shaky, and there’s been an understandable adjustment period as he works his way back to full strength. That clean outing, retiring the side in order, matters more than it might look on paper. For a guy rebuilding confidence and feel simultaneously, those reps are critical.

The Dodgers’ reasoning for sticking with Díaz goes beyond just the talent. There’s the financial investment — you don’t commit $69 million to a reliever and then pull the plug a few rough weeks in. There’s the track record — Díaz has proven at the highest level that when he’s right, he’s borderline unhittable. And there’s the practical reality that this bullpen doesn’t have an obvious alternative who inspires more confidence in the ninth inning right now. The organization clearly believes the version of Díaz they signed is still in there, and that the path back runs through continuing to hand him the ball in high-pressure spots rather than shelving him.

I get the frustration. Watching a closer who doesn’t look comfortable is genuinely stressful, especially during a stretch where we’ve dropped eight of nine. But the Dodgers aren’t making this decision blindly. Roberts has already publicly pushed for more intensity from Díaz, and the early returns from that conversation — retiring the side cleanly — suggest the message landed. The stuff is still there when the mechanics and mindset sync up.

For this team, the closer question is a short-term headache with a potentially significant long-term payoff. If Díaz rounds into form over the next few weeks, this bullpen looks dramatically different come October. That’s the bet the Dodgers are making, and given what we’ve seen from Díaz when he’s healthy and locked in throughout his career, it’s a reasonable one. The margin for error is thin right now with our rotation banged up and the losses piling up, but yanking Díaz from the role would create its own set of problems — both for his confidence and for a bullpen that would need someone else to step into a role nobody is clamoring for. Stay the course and let the arm come back. That’s the play.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: August 11, 2026 4:36 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers