RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz believes that he has found the source of his struggles and will try to correct things even in the closer role.
Diaz has been disappointing as a closer and reliever on the whole, suffering from command problems, and his stuff is not where it tends to be.
On Friday, August 14th, Diaz got a save after blowing one the day before in ugly fashion. He gave up four straight singles on Thursday that led to three earned runs in the end and costing the team a win.
He followed that up with an outing equally as nervy, but this time, he got out of trouble, stranding the bases loaded.
Aug 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) delivers to the plate in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Diaz hit the first batter, then got a strikeout, but he walked another hitter after that. Tommy Edman made a clutch play to get an out on a liner straight to him.
However, with runners on second and third base, there was still danger, and he walked David Hamilton, loading the bases.
To get the final out, Diaz produced a weak grounder for an easy out.
Edwin Diaz, after the game, on Dave Roberts and the Dodgers' support: "It means a lot to me. I'm in a rough stretch right now, but I keep working hard and trying to make pitches," Diaz said. "Today it wasn't easy, but I got the job done, so I'm happy."…
— Nelson Espinal (@nelson__espinal) August 15, 2026
His save, while just securing one win out of a 162-game season, was vital for a Dodgers bullpen and coaching staff who needed reasons to keep believing that Diaz could contribute this year.
Now, according to Dave Roberts, Diaz gets a couple of days off to make some adjustments before he is available again.
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
What Edwin Diaz discovered about his struggles
According to Diaz, even though his command was poor and it took everything to pull off the save, he found something to improve after talking with the coaching staff.
“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.
“They told me that my arm angle was a little bit low, so I was trying to work on that a little bit today. My posture is the main focus in that; I think today was better. My fastball rise was way better than yesterday.”
It was not easy at all for Edwin Diaz, but he got the save. He walked three batters, one of whom was hit, but he got the three outs. Diaz's command was very bad, and the defense helped him out, yet this could be a launching point. Dave Roberts never flinched and rode it out…
— Nelson Espinal (@nelson__espinal) August 15, 2026
Diaz is right; his arm angle is down from 19 degrees in 2025 to 15 degrees in 2026.
There is no right or wrong arm angle for a pitcher, since different pitchers can make a lower or higher arm angle work.
However, Diaz is much worse this year than last year and even compared to 2024 (his arm angle was 20 degrees); a drop in arm angle may explain his decline.
The release point can affect the ride of the fastball for some pitchers, and Diaz seems to believe his arm angle and posture are out of sync, which can lead to messy mechanics.
Also, while Diaz always tends to pitch quickly, he does seem to be moving very fast through his release.
By taking his time and focusing on his delivery, Diaz may regain the movement he’s been lacking, and the knock-on effect could be better command.
Next time Diaz pitches, all eyes will be on whether these changes made a difference.
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