Edwin Díaz to Undergo Elbow Surgery, Dodgers Expect Long Recovery

In a significant blow to the Los Angeles Dodgers, closer Edwin Díaz is set to undergo surgery on April 22 to address loose bodies in his right elbow, as announced by the team on April 20. While Díaz has been officially placed on the 15-day injured list, the Dodgers anticipate that their star reliever will be sidelined until the latter part of the season.

This decision follows a troubling performance from Díaz, who allowed three earned runs on three hits without recording an out during the ninth inning of LA’s 9-6 defeat to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 19. The early part of Díaz’s season had shown promise, with four saves and just one run allowed in his first five appearances. However, his recent outings have been concerning, as he has surrendered six earned runs while managing to retire only three batters over the last two games, which were separated by a nine-day interval. Manager Dave Roberts had expressed concerns about Díaz’s fastball velocity prior to this latest outing.

Historically, Díaz has averaged a fastball velocity between 97.2 and 99.1 mph over the past four seasons. This year, however, he has seen a significant drop, with his average velocity sitting at 95.7 mph and dipping as low as 92.8 mph during his last appearance. “Today was a tough evaluation,” Roberts stated in a postgame discussion. “I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really. So, I’ll have a conversation with him.” It appears that conversation has led to a definitive course of action.

According to medical experts, loose bodies in an elbow consist of small fragments of bone or articular cartilage that have broken off and are floating within the joint. These fragments can arise from injuries or wear and tear, and if they grow in size, they may impede joint movement by becoming trapped between the bearing surfaces.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.