The trumpets are back at Dodger Stadium, and Dave Roberts could not have been happier to hear them.
Edwin Diaz made his first appearance since April on Wednesday night against the Seattle Mariners, closing out a 4-2 Dodgers win. It was the moment Los Angeles has been waiting for since Diaz went down with an elbow issue that eventually required surgery.
The famous trumpet entrance music that Diaz brought with him from the Mets played over the Dodger Stadium speakers as he jogged in from the bullpen. For a manager who has been juggling closer roles all season, that had to feel like a weight coming off.
“It was good hearing the trumpets,” Roberts told reporters after the game, per SportsNet LA.
The outing itself was a little bumpy. Diaz allowed two hits and one earned run in the ninth. Not exactly the vintage version of the three-time All-Star. But he got the third out and picked up his fifth save of the season. Sometimes just finishing the job is enough.
The bigger point is what this means for the Dodgers’ pitching plans over the next two months. Los Angeles is 68-40 and cruising toward another division title. They are also loading up for a deep postseason run. Having Diaz healthy transforms their bullpen options entirely.
Tanner Scott deserves a lot of credit for holding the closer role during Diaz’s absence. Scott has been steady all year, recording 16 saves with a 2.65 ERA. That is closer-level performance from a guy who was signed as a setup man. He probably kept the Dodgers alive in the NL West race by himself.
With Diaz back, Scott can move to the eighth inning where his versatility becomes even more valuable. Roberts now has two legitimate late-game weapons instead of one. That flexibility is enormous when the playoffs start and every out matters.
The Dodgers have been quietly nervous about their bullpen for months. Blake Treinen has struggled. Ryan Brasier has been up and down. The middle relief has been the shakiest part of an otherwise dominant roster. Getting Diaz back does not fix everything, but it dramatically raises the ceiling.
There is a bigger question about how much Diaz has left, though. He turned 32 this year. Elbow surgery is not a small thing for a reliever who relies on triple-digit velocity. The fastball command has to come back, and the slider has to be sharp enough to miss bats in high-leverage spots. That process takes time.
Wednesday was a start. Diaz’s velocity was in the high 90s but not quite where it was pre-injury. His slider had bite in flashes. He did not have all his weapons yet. But the arm looked healthy, and the delivery was clean, and that is what the Dodgers needed to see.
The trade deadline is on August 3. Los Angeles has been linked to essentially every available starting pitcher, most notably Detroit’s Tarik Skubal. Having a healthy Diaz might actually change how aggressive the Dodgers get in bullpen trades. If they trust their late innings again, they can spend prospect capital on rotation help instead of hunting for more relievers.
The Dodgers won the series against Seattle on Thursday when they gave the ball to Roki Sasaki. They are the class of the National League. And with Diaz back throwing his stuff, they might finally have a complete pitching staff heading into October.
That is bad news for everyone else.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
