Los Angeles Dodgers star closer Edwin Diaz is on the injured list for the second time this season, and while his struggles on the mound have been disheartening, the team got some good news. An MRI on Wednesday showed nothing beyond Diaz's initial neck inflammation, something manager Dave Roberts called the "best case" for what could have been found. It doesn’t change the fact that he had this sensation in his neck, but keep working on it, give it some rest as far as throwing a baseball.” “It was the best-case scenario,” Roberts added.
Again, best-case scenario.” It means Diaz, who already had surgery this season to remove loose bodies from his elbow, likely will be able to return this season. The Dodgers are chasing a historic third World Series title in a row, and Diaz was the team's biggest offseason addition to the pitching corps, signing him to a three-year, $69 million deal. Diaz, however, has struggled in recent games, blowing multiple saves in the course of a week.
Diaz identified mechanical issues as the cause of his struggles, and if the neck inflammation is what caused those mechanical problems, this stint on the injured list could be a blessing for the team in the long run. Diaz recently said the issue was "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.
My posture is the main focus in that; I think today was better. My fastball rise was way better than yesterday.” Given that Diaz's injury is "muscular and not nerve-y," as Roberts put it, Diaz will hopefully be able to correct that posture issue and play without the neck pain.
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