Dodgers Get ‘Best-Case Scenario’ From Edwin Diaz MRI

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz had a medical scan on Wednesday in LA while the team was in Colorado for the series against the Rockies.

Diaz went down on the injured list with neck inflammation after a rough run of games, where he was struggled with his command and movement.

He had been failing to paint the edges of the strike zone consistently, while any pitches thrown in the strike zone ended up getting hit hard.

Still, manager Dave Roberts was willing to stick by Diaz, at least until Diaz reported neck discomfort on Monday night.

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

The Dodgers put him on the IL for the next two weeks, at least, giving him time to heal, take a break, and work on his mechanics.

According to Roberts, Diaz’s neck MRI came back clean with nothing more than the initial inflammation.
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The team will give him a few days of rest, pause his throwing, and then see where Diaz is at.

It is the “best-case” prognosis, per Roberts, which suggests it may be a matter of wear rather than any underlying damage.

Aug 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) during pregame warmup before a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images

Diaz could benefit from taking more time between his pitches. He tends to pitch quickly after getting the ball, but to get his mechanics in sync, Diaz could benefit from being more methodical.

Additionally, he needs to find a way to get his pitches moving, especially his slider. For an off-speed pitch, it is flat when he throws it for strikes.

His fastball had good life overall, but his consistency wasn’t there; he also needs to be more measured in his delivery.

Diaz seems to have a mechanical cause for his issues, and they could improve if his neck does indeed feel better.

“My posture. I think I’m leaning too much to the right-handed hitter; instead, go straight to home plate. I think today was way better, I think I was rushing myself a bit,” Diaz said.

“They told me that my arm angle was a little bit low, so I was trying to work on that a little bit today. My posture is the main focus in that; I think today was better. My fastball rise was way better than yesterday.”

For Diaz, it is imperative that he figures things out quickly so he can go into the postseason with a good deal of sharpness.