The Dodgers are well dominating the NL West with a 15-6 record. And errors are expectedly overshadowed when results are positive. Still, manager Dave Roberts was honest enough to reflect his team’s weaknesses. And his major concern was coming off his bullpen.
The Dodgers splashed $69 million to get Edwin Diaz, and the price was justified considering he finished last year with a 1.63 ERA. However, looking at how Diaz’s 2026 is going and especially his numbers on Sunday, the fans would also agree with Roberts that it’s a little concerning at the bottom of the innings.
“Today was a tough evaluation,” Roberts said of Diaz. “I mean, it really was. Because I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”
The Dodgers went down against the Rockies on Sunday by 6-9, and if not a single homer coming off the lineup was a concern, Roberts was focused more on Edwin Diaz!
Sunday went rough for Diaz. He entered the eighth inning with the Dodgers trailing 4-6. But he failed to make a single strikeout and allowed a walk and three base hits. The Rockies’ Edouard Julien hit a 2-RBI single before he was pulled out. The night ended with Diaz allowing 3 ERs from 0.0 official innings. Surely, that’s unreal from the reigning NL reliever of the year.
Dave Roberts admitted it’s a bit concerning seeing how Edwin Diaz looked on the mound yesterday for the Dodgers.
What’s your concern level surrounding Diaz on a scale of 1-10? pic.twitter.com/B0A4vHrq2D
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) April 20, 2026
Sunday was Diaz’s second appearance since April 10, when he gave up another 3 runs against the Rangers. “Hopefully, it’s one of those things that he just hadn’t pitched in a while,” Roberts tried to stay positive. But Diaz’s velocity is sounding the same.
On Sunday, his fastball velocity had gone down to 95.4 mph, and that was a downfall from his average velocity last year (97.2 mph) and career average velocity (97.7 mph). Yes, injury could be a reason. Diaz’s knee injury was rumored to be still lingering despite Roberts terming it as a “day-to-day” injury.
Last year, it was the same story for the Dodgers. Although they won the World Series and their offense and starting rotation were dominant, the bullpen was a concern. Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates ended the year with a 4.74 ERA and 5.23 ERA, respectively. This year is no different. The Rockies scored 6 runs in the 7th and 8th innings, proving how shaky the Dodgers’ bullpen is.
Maybe a 2025-like fix could offer some relief to Roberts and the Dodgers fans.
The Dodgers’ bullpen might see the same 2025-like strategy
The most notable change the Dodgers made to their bullpen last year was sending Roki Sasaki into the closing role. The strategy proved successful as Sasaki had allowed just one run through 12.2 innings out of the bullpen last year.
This year, the context is the same. The Dodgers’ bullpen is struggling, and so is Sasaki in the starting rotation. Currently, Sasaki is standing with a 6.11 ERA, and he has already walked 12 batters in just 17.2 innings. So, calls are getting louder to push Sasaki back to the bullpen.
“They’ve got to put him back to where he found his greatest success, where his lack of a variety of pitches will not hurt him, where he can throw 100 mph for 20 pitches and save the team with his strength,” LA Times’ Bill Plaschke wrote. “As last October showed everyone, the bullpen is where he belongs.”
However, we think it’s too early for the Dodgers to send Sasaki back to the bullpen. Last year, the Dodgers faced a battered rotation when Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Roki Sasaki all were sidelined with injuries. So, till the time all other departments are performing, the focus would be on improving Diaz. If the numbers get worse in the second half, Sasaki might get to close a few games.
