Edwin Diaz Ready to Go on Rehab Assignment

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be getting some key reinforcements back to the roster shortly after the All-Star break.

Los Angeles has been playing the majority of the season without star closer Edwin Diaz after he had to undergo elbow surgery to remove loose bodies. Diaz was one of the big signings for the Dodgers over the offseason, but he was limited to just seven appearances before undergoing surgery.

The veteran has been working his way back, with the original recovery time around three months. Diaz is now ready to go on a rehab assignment, which will be the final step before his return.

He's just waiting for approval from the Dodgers to begin his rehab assignment.

“It was tough at first, getting that surgery done, not being able to help this team to win early in the season,” Diaz said. “But as the process began, everything went smooth. I did a really good rehab [without] any step back. We went in the right direction and now we’re here just waiting for them to give me the approval to start doing a rehab assignment.”

Diaz faced live hitters on Wednesday, which was his second time doing so since the surgery. The right-hander did show some issues with his command, but simply getting the reps on the mound was of the utmost importance.

At one point, the normally hard-throwing reliever saw his velocity drop to as low as 92.8 mph this season. This was a major concern for the Dodgers, and eventually the medical staff shut him down, leading to the surgery.

Roberts said Diaz touched 94-95 mph in his live session, showing he's clearly getting back to his normal self.

Once Diaz does come back, the Dodgers bullpen will get a nice boost to it. Diaz was expected to be the catalyst for this relief staff, and the team has been forced to rely on a handful of arms in his absence.

In his limited time this year, Diaz saw his ERA skyrocket to 10.50 while recording four saves. The velocity on his fastball was clearly off, despite Diaz insisting that he was healthy.

Edwin Diaz's Cockfighting Allegations

In March, reports came out that Diaz participated in cockfighting, which is illegal in the United States and territories such as Puerto Rico. Diaz denied any wrongdoing and said that MLB hadn't reached out to him about the situation.

"I wasn't doing nothing illegal. So they didn't reach to me," Diaz said. "But at the end of the day, I'm looking to help this team to win."

These reports aren't expected to impact his return to the Dodgers.

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