Dodgers’ Edwin Diaz Faces Neck Issues but Hopes for Quick Return

Los Angeles Dodgers’ star closer Edwin Diaz has been placed on the injured list for the second time this season. Despite his recent challenges on the mound, the team received encouraging news about his health.

An MRI conducted on Wednesday revealed no complications beyond Diaz’s initial neck inflammation. Manager Dave Roberts described the outcome as the ‘best case’ scenario.

‘It went well,’ Roberts stated, as reported by Owen Perkins from the Orange County Register. ‘There were no findings, so that was positive. The MRI was clean. It doesn’t change that he had this sensation in his neck, but we’ll keep working on it and allow some rest from baseball activities.’

Roberts emphasized that Diaz will likely be shut down for a few days, focusing on soft tissue treatments to aid his recovery. Roberts reiterated, ‘It’s probably going to be a couple days of him being shut down, then some manual work. Again, best-case scenario.’

This situation suggests Diaz, who underwent elbow surgery earlier this season, might still contribute before the season’s conclusion. His return would be valuable as the Dodgers pursue a historic third consecutive World Series title. Diaz was a key offseason addition, joining on a three-year, $69 million contract.

Diaz has faced performance issues, recently blowing several saves. He attributes these problems to mechanical errors, potentially linked to his neck inflammation. This injury period could ultimately benefit the team.

Diaz identified ‘posture’ as the root cause of his troubles. ‘I think I’m leaning too much towards right-handed hitters instead of aiming straight at the home plate. Today felt much better; I believe I was pushing myself previously,’ Diaz explained.

‘They mentioned my arm angle was slightly low, so I focused on improving that. My posture is my main concern; today was better. My fastball rise was superior to yesterday.’

Considering Roberts reported Diaz’s injury as ‘muscular and not nerve-related,’ there is hope Diaz might resolve his posture issues and play without neck discomfort.