Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz updates elbow injury, return time

Turns out, the loose bodies that Edwin Díaz had surgically removed from his elbow this week had been there a while.

As in, since the very start of his professional career.

Speaking to the media Monday for the first time since having an elbow procedure last week that will sideline him until the second half of the season, Díaz said that he’s had loose bodies in his elbow “since I think I signed as a professional player back in 2012.”

For most of his 10-year MLB career, however, the issue hadn’t bothered the three-time All-Star.

It was only this season that the problem finally reared its ugly head.

During the opening weeks of the campaign –– Díaz’s first with the Dodgers after signing a three-year, $69 million contract –– the closer’s fastball velocity had been below average, even for a veteran who has dealt with slow starts in recent years.

At first, he said, he believed the problem was with his knee, which he also had surgically repaired in 2023 when he suffered a torn patellar tendon celebrating a win in that year’s World Baseball Classic.

Thus, after suffering a three-run blown save against the Rangers on April 10, the Dodgers stayed away from him for the next eight days while he worked through that issue in side sessions and bullpens.

By the time he returned to action on April 19 against the Rockies in Denver, Díaz insisted he was once again “feeling great” and expecting an uptick in his stuff.

Instead, he suffered a disastrous outing, failing to retire any of the four batters he faced while bottoming out with a fastball velocity of 92.8 mph (one of the 10 slowest heaters of his career).

It was during that appearance, he said Monday, that he felt discomfort in his throwing arm for the first time.

“I didn’t know it was the loose bodies,” he explained. “I just felt tired, tight.”

Up to that point in his career, the right-handed said he had never been advised that the loose bodies would eventually have to be removed. He had also never previously experienced such a sensation in his elbow.

“That’s something a lot of pitchers have,” he said. “Every pitcher has something in his arm.”

But, he added, “this is my first time in my career I’ve felt my arm was sore or whatever.”

The good news, Díaz noted, is that his arm is already feeling better just days after getting his procedure done last week. Even though he won’t return until after the All-Star break, he described the prognosis and operation as “the best-case scenario.”

“I can move my arm really good right now,” Díaz said. “I’m really surprised, because surgery was on Wednesday, and today is Monday.”

Even at this early stage of his recovery, the 32-year-old explained that such range of motion was highly encouraging –– after feeling it “was a little bit shorter than normal” during his early-season struggles.

“Now, after surgery, I’m getting close to what I was, what I am when I was good,” he said, professing confidence he will regain his typically dominant form when he returns. 

“I think that maybe that’s why the velo was a little bit inconsistent (before),” he added.

While he’s out recovering, Diaz said he not only wants to strengthen his arm, but also his legs after the issues he experienced there earlier this month. He hopes to begin throwing again in a couple weeks, though any more specific timeline remains unclear. 

Missing so much of the season still “sucks,” he acknowledged, especially after joining a new team on a big contract this winter. 

“But that’s something I can’t control,” Díaz said. “Everyone here is supporting me. All of my teammates, they’re supporting me. They’re happy that I’m doing way better than before. They just can’t wait to see me on the mound in the second half. 

“They say take your time, we need you in October,” he added. “But I want to come back as soon as possible and help this team to win games.”

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