Dodgers Pitching Coach Reveals When Edwin Diaz Will Return

The Los Angeles Dodgers looked like a team in need of a break, dropping their third straight game to Arizona Diamondbacks to mark their first conceded sweep of the 2026 season.

“Some mental lapses, some physical lapses,” manager Dave Roberts said. “This last week has just been below average for sure.”

Luckily for the Dodgers, the team has officially made it to the All-Star break, a welcome checkpoint for a team that has thrived with a Major League-best 61-36 record despite missing key pieces for much of the season, including closer Edwin Diaz.

After signing a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers over the offseason, Diaz largely disappointed in his first seven appearances, allowing seven runs on nine hits with just five strikeouts. After a short start to his Dodgers career, the team announced in April that Diaz would undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow.

Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior gave the Los Angeles Times an estimate as to when Diaz would make his long-awaited return, while also providing insight on Diaz's recovery process.

"He's been throwing pretty effortlessly, free, maybe a week after he started throwing," Prior said, adding that he believes Diaz will return in about three to four weeks if he continues to progress smoothly.

Prior's update comes a few weeks after Diaz gave a positive update of his own after throwing his first bullpen in late June.

"Doing great," Diaz told David Vassegh of AM570. "I threw my first bullpen on Friday, it was really good, over my expectations. It was way easier than I expected doing it, so I'm really happy I'm going in the right direction, and I can't wait to complete my rehab and be back with the team."

Called @Dodgers star closer Edwin Diaz’s rehab outing for the Dodgers’ minor league affiliate @towerbuzzers on @iHeartRadio + @milb TV this weekend 🎙️

Here’s the inning condensed into two minutes! @SugarDiaz39 collected 2 Ks and got his fastball up to 98 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EnmSJHJkUA
— Sid Iyer (@thesidiyer) July 12, 2026

Diaz made a significant step forward in his recovery, beginning a rehab assignment with Single-A Ontario on July 11, tossing one scoreless inning. In his first live action since April 19, Diaz struck out the first two hitters he faced before giving up a base hit.

According to manager Dave Roberts, Diaz is still a ways away from getting back.

“I think the arm feels good, but there’s also a command of getting major-league hitters out,” Roberts said. “We’re going to make sure that he’s ready to go before we put him at the back end of a major-league game. I think that’s fair, not only to him, but to our ballclub.”

In Diaz's absence, the Dodgers have been going with a committee approach to close out games, with Tanner Scott taking a majority of the team's ninth-inning opportunities. Scott has shown significant improvement compared to the 2025 season, posting a 2.56 ERA and a team-high 13 saves this year.

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