Dodgers place Edwin Díaz on injured list amid 11.85 ERA in 16 appearances

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed closer Edwin Díaz on the injured list, per CBS Sports, removing him from the active roster amid a difficult start to his tenure with the club. Díaz has posted an 11.85 ERA, 2.56 WHIP, and -1.4 WAR across 16 appearances in 2025.

The report does not specify the nature of the injury, the expected length of absence, or whether Díaz will land on the 15-day or 60-day injured list.

What happened

Díaz moved to the injured list following a stretch in which he allowed runs at a rate nearly twelve times the league average. The right-hander came to Los Angeles on a three-year, $69 million contract before the season, a commitment that made him one of the highest-paid relievers in the sport. Through 16 outings, he has posted a 2.56 WHIP, meaning he has allowed more than two and a half baserunners per inning pitched.

The -1.4 WAR figure indicates that, by this measure, Díaz has cost the Dodgers roughly one and a half wins compared to a replacement-level pitcher over the same workload. CBS Sports reported the move but did not provide details on the injury designation or a timetable for return.

Why it matters

The Dodgers entered the season expecting Díaz to anchor the back end of their bullpen. Instead, the club has navigated the bulk of the year with its closer posting an ERA in double digits. The injured list placement creates an opening for Los Angeles to reconfigure its late-inning mix, though it also removes a pitcher in whom the organization has invested significant payroll.

The gap between the expectations attached to a three-year, $69 million deal and the 11.85 ERA Díaz has posted through 16 appearances is among the starkest in recent memory for a high-profile bullpen signing. The timing of the move arrives as the Dodgers hold a commanding position in the National League West. With a division magic number of 9 and a four-game winning streak, the club is positioned to secure its postseason berth well before the end of the regular season. The injured list stint offers the front office a window to evaluate internal options for the closer role without the immediate pressure of a playoff race.

The numbers

Díaz has appeared in 16 games this season, posting an 11.85 ERA and a 2.56 WHIP. His -1.4 WAR is the product of allowing baserunners at a rate that has left him unable to record outs without damage. The WHIP figure means that, on average, Díaz has put more than five runners on base every two innings.

The three-year, $69 million contract he brought to Los Angeles represents one of the largest commitments ever made to a relief pitcher.

Where the club stands

The Dodgers are 86-57, a .601 winning percentage that leads the National League West by a margin large enough to produce a division magic number of 9. The club has won four consecutive games and is on pace for one of the best records in franchise history.

Los Angeles travels to Coors Field on Wednesday, August 19, to face the Colorado Rockies, with Roki Sasaki scheduled to start opposite Kyle Freeland. The Dodgers return home Friday, August 21, to open a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking the ball against Bubba Chandler. Tarik Skubal is slated to pitch the following day against Jared Jones.

The bullpen will operate without Díaz for at least the next several games, though the club has not announced who will assume the closer role in his absence. The Dodgers' rotation depth and the cushion they have built in the division standings provide some insulation as the front office sorts through its late-inning options.

What we don't know yet

The nature of Díaz's injury has not been disclosed. CBS Sports did not report whether the issue is related to his arm, and the Dodgers have not issued a statement detailing the diagnosis or the expected length of absence.

It is also unclear whether Díaz will land on the 15-day injured list, which is standard for pitchers, or the 60-day injured list, which would remove him from the 40-man roster and signal a longer recovery. The latter designation would open a spot on the 40-man, allowing the Dodgers to add a player without making a corresponding move.

The club has not announced a replacement closer or outlined how it will deploy its bullpen in high-leverage situations moving forward. Whether the Dodgers will look internally or explore external options before the end of the season remains to be seen.

What to watch

The Dodgers will need to clarify the nature of Díaz's injury and provide a timetable for his return, if one is available. The distinction between a 15-day and 60-day injured list placement will offer the first signal of how long the club expects to be without him.

In the meantime, the bullpen hierarchy will come into focus over the next several games. The Dodgers have a deep roster, but the closer role is one that typically requires a defined assignment rather than a committee approach, particularly as the postseason nears.

Díaz's performance before the injury had already raised questions about his role in October. The injured list stint may serve as a reset, or it may accelerate the club's search for a more reliable option at the back end. Either way, the Dodgers will need to resolve the closer question before the calendar turns to the playoffs, and the next few weeks will determine whether Díaz remains part of that answer.

The division magic number of 9 means the Dodgers are likely to clinch the NL West within the next two weeks, barring a collapse. That timeline gives the front office a narrow window to sort through its bullpen options before the stakes rise. The injured list move buys time, but it does not answer the larger question of what the Dodgers will do in the ninth inning when the games matter most.