Dodgers Working on Mechanical Fixes With Closer Edwin Díaz After 10.66 ERA Start

Edwin Díaz is not off to the start the Dodgers had in mind when they handed him the closer role. Per Fabian Ardaya, the organization has held conversations with Díaz and is looking at mechanical tweaks as it tries to work through his early struggles — a 10.66 ERA being the number that prompted the intervention.

Ardaya's report stops short of detailing exactly what those mechanical adjustments entail or how far along the process is, so the specifics of what the Dodgers believe is wrong — and whether any fix is imminent — remain unclear per the report.

Why it matters right now

The timing is not ideal. The Dodgers have played below .500 since the All-Star break and have slipped to second in the MLB standings after dropping three of four to the Brewers. Manager Dave Roberts has publicly acknowledged four to six weeks of below-average offense, with the team ranking 21st in MLB at a 91 wRC+ since July 1. A shaky closer layered on top of a stalled offense is the kind of combination that makes a front office's offseason math look complicated in real time.

What to watch

Whether the mechanical work produces any visible results in Díaz's next appearances is the obvious thread to follow. Per the report, the Dodgers are actively engaged — but a conversation and some tweaks are a starting point, not a resolution.