Dodgers' Dave Roberts fires shot at NL West rival Padres after blowing division lead originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have received a string of bad news over the past few days. It began with the announcement that Edwin Díaz will need surgery.

“Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the team announced. The expectation is that the reliever could sit out around three months, a source told ESPN's Alden Gonzalez on Monday. Los Angeles put Diaz, 32, on the 15-day injured list before the team's series finale with the Colorado Rockies on Monday,” ESPN wrote.

On Tuesday night, the Dodgers fell on the road to the San Francisco Giants. While it is still early in the season, the loss allowed the San Diego Padres to catch them in the division.

“Don't look now, but the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers have company atop the NL West. The San Diego Padres, winners of 11 of their last 12 games, have moved into a first-place tie with the Dodgers, each with 16-7 records,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale posted.

The Dodgers are still in a strong position, but the Padres are playing excellent baseball at the moment. When manager Dave Roberts was asked about catching them, he delivered a firm response.