Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz is sidelined for months due to an elbow injury requiring surgery. This leaves the team without a certified closer, raising questions about who will fill the role during his absence.
Key points
Edwin Díaz is out for months with an elbow injury.
Díaz will require surgery and rehabilitation.
The Dodgers lack a certified closer in his absence.
The team spent $69 million on Díaz's contract.
Edwin DíazLos Angeles Dodgers
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz is out for months with an elbow injury that will indeed require a procedure, needing a full recovery process and rehabilitation as he works his way back on the mound.
With the extended absence, the Dodgers don’t have a certified closer, leaving an obvious question: Who will be stepping up for the Dodgers in the late-inning moments?
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Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Now, they are left contending with a similar issue in back-to-back seasons. It won’t be easy, but the Dodgers have quality pitching depth as an organization.
Vesia has been the best reliever out of the bullpen for the Dodgers. He has not allowed an earned run through 10 games and 8.2 innings pitched. He has racked up 0.3 fWAR with a 1.86 FIP, meaning his results are not luck-based.
Despite his fastball velocity being down at 91.1 mph on average, he is still generating swings and misses with his slider and changeup. During his outings, he provides energy on the mound and seems to get the team going as a whole.
Overall, given his confidence and experience within the organization, Vesia should be more than capable of stepping into higher-leverage spots and delivering results.
Tanner Scott
Tanner Scott is delivering whiffs and not walking hitters, allowing less hard contact than he did in 2025. His numbers are elite to start the year, giving up just one run in 8.2 innings, which came on a homer.
He struggles in a close role during the 2025 regular season, but the team will need to lean on him more than expected in that spot, and his resurgence suggests better results may follow.
His pitches are catching batter’s barrels less often, and as a result, he is having weaker fly-outs and attacking the zone more often as well.
Scott’s profile suggests that he can get outs with his slider if it is firing, and luckily for the Dodgers, it is indeed generating chases and complementing his fastball well.
The Dodgers love to play the match-up game, and their two best relievers on the team right now are southpaws. Without Diaz, a righty, they lack a high-leverage right-handed pitcher, and that is where Klein can fit in.
The organization is high on him, with expectations that he would take on a bigger role in 2026 after his 2025 postseason heroics. He has been good overall, with a 2.79 ERA over 9.2 innings.
However, he has not been thrust into the higher leverage moments, but with Diaz out, Klein is set to take on any righty-heavy matchups.
