Welcome back to the Dodgers Beat newsletter! The next time the trumpets sound at Dodger Stadium, it likely won't be to herald the ninth inning. Edwin Díaz is progressing quickly as he works his way back from his second stint on the injured list this season, this time due to neck inflammation. But unlike the first time he was activated from the IL -- after surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow -- he will not slot right back into the closer role. "I think it's more about getting him back healthy and then putting him in some softer landing situations to get the confidence, to get the feel and the trust of executing pitches, getting Major League hitters out," manager Dave Roberts said. "And then at that point in time, we'll go from there." Tanner Scott has been the primary option in save situations without Díaz, and he should continue to get those opportunities going forward. "I’m good with the decision because I know I haven’t done my job," Díaz said. "If I’d done my job, I’d be pitching in the ninth inning. But I’m super happy because Tanner Scott is doing his job and doing it really well." |
The first season of Díaz's three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers has not gone as planned. Díaz is expected to miss around the minimum length of time during this current IL stint, but he was out for three months due to the loose bodies in his elbow earlier this season. He hasn't performed well when healthy, recording an 11.85 ERA in 16 appearances with four blown saves in 11 opportunities. Díaz's fastball velocity was a primary issue before his elbow surgery. His velocity ticked up when he returned, but his mechanics were off. His arm angle has been notably lower this year, which the pitching coaches believe is at the root of his problem. "I think with a good arm angle, my fastball runs way better than [it is] now," Díaz said. "I'm throwing, right now, side to side, so my slider is getting flat in the middle. My fastball's running through the bat, so that's why we are working now to get the angle back." Díaz threw a bullpen session over the weekend and could progress to facing hitters soon. The Dodgers are targeting an early September return for him, not long after he's eligible. They'll see if time to work on his mechanics -- and a stint in lower leverage -- can unlock the dominant closer they signed this past offseason. "It’s a little bit frustrating because I know the pitcher I am," Díaz said. "I know when I'm good, I can do really good things. I'm working to come back in that form." |
Here are a few more notes on the bullpen: • Eric Lauer is shifting to relief, although he'll remain built up. He will be available to provide length behind Tyler Glasnow if needed on Tuesday, and after that, he'll be the primary piggyback arm when Shohei Ohtani returns to the rotation. • Justin Wrobleski (left forearm inflammation) will also move to the 'pen once he's activated from the IL (the hope being early September). The Dodgers foresee him being a multi-inning option. • Emmet Sheehan was briefly in the Dodgers' bullpen last week, but did not make a relief appearance. He's remaining built up as a starter with Triple-A Oklahoma City, most recently dealing six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts on Sunday. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
Every Tarik Skubal strikeout at Dodger Stadium is punctuated by the catchy hook from "Scooby Doo Pa Pa." After that beat played 11 times during Skubal's strong start on Saturday, it was also blaring in the home clubhouse after the game. Naturally, it was Miguel Rojas who started playing the song for Skubal. Rojas, who is also behind Roki Sasaki using "Bailalo Rocky" for his entrance music, has a knack for finding songs that fit his teammates perfectly. "He's really good at those types of things with everybody on the team," Skubal said. "That was just the first thing he ever -- it came right to his mind at the time when we were on the bus. It stuck, obviously. That guy can make really anything stick with this club. I think it's fun. … I got some video of my boys dancing to it before the game today, too. That was pretty funny." |
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Here are a few notable things to know about the Dodgers’ next opponent, the Braves (76-55): • Probable pitching matchups: RHP Tyler Glasnow vs. RHP Bryce Elder on Tuesday, RHP Roki Sasaki vs. RHP AJ Smith-Shawver on Wednesday and RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. LHP Chris Sale on Thursday. • Braves' injuries of note: Atlanta has been hit hardest by injuries to its rotation, with starters such as Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach all on the injured list. • Postseason picture: The Braves are in first place in the NL East, but they're currently not in position for a first-round postseason bye. They trail the Brewers (81-50) and Dodgers (80-51) for the top two records in the National League. • Recent history: The Braves visited Dodger Stadium in May, taking two of three on the road. That means the Dodgers would have to sweep this series in order to clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker -- although if they split the season series, there are other tiebreakers to determine postseason seeding if needed. |
The Dodgers are headed on the road, so let's take a look at what's going on next homestand. More details, as well as the full promotional schedule, can be found here. • Sept. 1: L.A. Kings Night (special event ticket) • Sept. 2: Shohei Ohtani replica World Series ring giveaway • Sept. 3: Lakers Night (special event ticket) • Sept. 4: Dodgers Date Night (special event ticket) and postgame drone show • Sept. 5: Yoshinobu Yamamoto "Starter Series" bobblehead giveaway and Union Night (special event ticket) • Sept. 6: Andy Pages and Kiké Hernández "The Catch" bobblehead giveaway • Sept. 7: First Responders Night (special event ticket) • Sept. 8: Día De Los Dodgers (special event ticket) • Sept. 9: Nurses Night (special event ticket) |
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