Dodgers’ Edwin Díaz Out for First Half of Season Following Elbow Surgery

TL;DR

Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz will undergo elbow surgery and is expected to miss the first half of the season. He was placed on the 15-day injured list following the diagnosis of loose bodies in his elbow.

Key points

Edwin Díaz will undergo elbow surgery.
He is expected to miss the first half of the season.
Díaz was placed on the 15-day injured list.
Loose bodies were found in his elbow during an MRI.
He signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers.

Jake EderLos Angeles DodgersEdwin Díaz

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow on Wednesday, the team announced on Monday. He is expected to be out until the second half of the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Edwin Díaz will have surgery on Wednesday to remove loose bodies from his elbow. He is expected to return during the second half of the season.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 20, 2026

“Obviously, we all saw the stuff last night, and it set up red flags,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Diaz’s Sunday appearance, per MLB “After the game, he had a conversation with our training staff, and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. … We just wanted to be proactive, and felt that it was smart to get him an MRI, get imaging, which we did do. It showed loose bodies. It happens with players, and it just kind of came to a head last night. We felt, get the surgery scheduled and expect a second-half return.”

The Dodgers placed Díaz on the 15-day injured list on Monday. In a corresponding move, Los Angeles recalled left-handed reliever Jake Eder from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Díaz signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers in free agency in December. The Dodgers named Díaz their closer for the season before the injury.

The right-hander posted a 10.50 ERA and struck out 10 batters while also converting four of his five save opportunities in seven appearances this season.