RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesThe Los Angeles Dodgers can finally sound the trumpets in the ninth inning as the Dodgers officially activated Edwin Díaz from the Injured List. To make room for Díaz, southpaw Charlie Barnes has been designated for assignment.
Díaz, 32, has been sidelined following elbow surgery to remove loose bodies in late-April.
The start of the right-hander's tenure with the Dodgers started particularly slowly — albeit dealing with his ailing elbow — as he allowed seven earned runs through his first six innings with his new team.
Now, with three months of being on the shelf and more than a handful of rehab appearances under his belt, Díaz is ready to slot into a Dodgers bullpen that ranks top 15 in ERA.
"Before surgery, I had some soreness, and after I got the loose bodies removed, I started feeling way better. When I started pitching, it was great. I got my velocity back, I got my pitches back, so I was really happy," Díaz told the media via SportsNetLA .
Díaz revealed that it was a combination of his knee and elbow that led to the dip in velocity, but more so, the elbow was a cause of concern for the righty.
He did admit that, in the beginning of the season, he felt good but as the season progressed, the wheels began to skid.
Still, with all the boxes checked off, manager Dave Roberts is wasting no time in announcing that Díaz will slot into the Dodgers' premier closer role.
"He's excited to be back. It's been a while since we've had him active. To put him back in the closer role, it kind of frees other guys up to take on other responsibilities, different leverage roles," Roberts said on SportsNetLA .
Roberts then added how Díaz has responded positively following the surgery to remove the loose bodies in his elbow.
"Taking out those bone chips, or whatever they were, they look like shark teeth. It was compromising his extension, the feel, and all of that stuff. He [Díaz] says he hasn't felt this good in quite some time, so I do think the erratic, the sprays, the inconsistencies, that was a big reason," Roberts said.
Moving forward, Roberts will be keeping an eye on Díaz's command, and how well his slider adapts to major league outings.
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