CINCINNATI — The highest-paid closer in baseball history might not be on the Dodgers’ postseason roster.
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After going on the injured list with neck inflammation, Edwin Diaz was expected to make a short minor-league rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City and then join the Dodgers. Adjustments in his delivery (particularly an arm slot that has dropped significantly over the course of this season) were supposed to be the solution to his disappointing results since returning from elbow surgery.
But Diaz’s rehab assignment has not been successful and no longer qualifies as short. He is scheduled to make a fifth appearance with OKC on Wednesday.
“He needs to pitch better. It hasn’t been good,” Roberts said on Monday. “He’s going to pitch on Wednesday, and I guess we’ll evaluate then. I think the world of him. The baseball card looks great. But where we’re at, there’s got to be something for us to be able to hang our hat on. And he knows that. He knows that. He wants to pitch well. So for me, Wednesday, we’ll be watching closely.”
In his first four appearances, Diaz has allowed six runs on three hits, seven walks and one hit batter in just 3⅓ innings. He has thrown 86 pitches, less than half (40) for strikes.
Sunday’s outing was especially troubling. Diaz faced eight batters, retired just two while walking three and hitting a batter. He threw 30 pitches to get those two outs, only 13 strikes.
While putting too much stock in rehab assignment performances can be a mistake, Roberts acknowledged that the Dodgers need to see better results from Diaz.
“I just know, kind of just seeing it, it hasn’t been great,” Roberts said, acknowledging that this version of Diaz could be left off the postseason roster.
“Yeah … we have to go with our best pitchers, as far as performance, talent, all that stuff. So my bet is that he will be (one of them). But again, there’s got to be some kind of evidence or something for us, again, to sort of bet on. My bet is yes, but we still have to see something.”
BULLPEN SHUFFLE
The Dodgers lost one high-leverage reliever for the rest of the regular season on Monday. Edgardo Henriquez was placed on the IL with lower back discomfort. He will be eligible for the postseason roster.
Henriquez had emerged as a key piece of the bullpen this season, posting a 2.85 ERA in 61 appearances with 71 strikeouts in 60 innings.
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Right-hander Bobby Miller was recalled from Triple-A to take Henriquez’s spot.
Right-hander Paul Gervase and left-hander Kris Bubic also joined the Dodgers in Cincinnati on Monday. Gervase was added to the active roster. Bubic could be added in the next couple of days.
The left-hander has not pitched in the majors since May with the Kansas City Royals due to elbow and shoulder injuries. Acquired by the Dodgers at the trade deadline, Bubic pitched 5⅔ scoreless innings for OKC on a rehab assignment, striking out nine and giving up just two hits. He is on the 60-day IL, so the Dodgers will have to clear a 40-man roster spot before activating him.
Meanwhile, right-hander Emmet Sheehan was returned to OKC after making two excellent starts for the Dodgers, including six scoreless innings in Miami on Sunday.
“Man, Emmet’s been great. The last two have been fantastic,” Roberts said.
Whether Sheehan returns before the end of the regular season could depend on Roki Sasaki’s status going forward.
“Emmet’s done everything he can do in his power to force our hand, which I love,” Roberts said. “The last two have been really good.”
BLISTER CHECK
Sasaki threw approximately 30 pitches in a bullpen session Monday afternoon. Sasaki threw with a bandage covering the tip of his right finger where a blister opened up and forced him to the IL following his Aug. 26 start in Atlanta.
Sasaki could return to start Thursday in Cincinnati, but the Dodgers are concerned that the heat and humidity – it is forecast to reach 90 degrees – during a day game would make it more likely the blister could re-open.
“That’s exactly right,” Roberts said. “All things being equal, you can lean a certain way. But now you have to take in the heat, humidity that is a factor. So those are all things that we’re weighing, yeah.
“We just can’t put him in a position to go backward. And so obviously people can look at Thursday. But again, if he can’t do it without accomplishing it, finishing a start, and not regress, then it’s not worth it. So I think for us, we’re just keeping it open-ended right now.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 13-8, 2.62 ERA) at Reds (LHP Rhett Lowder, 6-10, 5.81 ERA), Monday, 3:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM
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