DENVER — The Dodgers got the best possible news on closer Edwin Diaz, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with neck inflammation after he allowed three runs in another shaky ninth inning in Monday night’s 11-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Diaz left the team Tuesday and went back to L.A. to get his neck examined.
“It went well,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Wednesday’s series finale. “There was no findings, so that was good. The MRI was clean. It doesn’t change the fact that he had this sensation in his neck, but keep working on it, give it some rest as far as throwing a baseball.”
Roberts sounded optimistic that Diaz might be able to return after a minimal stint on the IL.
“It was the best-case scenario,” Roberts said of the update from L.A. “It’s probably going to be a couple days (of Diaz being shut down), then do some soft tissue stuff and more manual stuff to get him back. Again, best-case scenario.”
Roberts noted Diaz’s neck had been an issue longer than Roberts initially knew.
“He had noticed it,” Roberts said of the neck inflammation. “He’d been feeling the tightness in his neck, but where it went to the other night, I think he hadn’t felt that sensation.”
Based on where Diaz was experiencing discomfort, Roberts said, “the takeaway is (it’s) muscular and not nerve-y.”
Diaz, who was on the IL from April 20-July 29 with an elbow injury that required a procedure to remove loose bodies, is 2-2 with an 11.85 ERA and seven saves in 11 opportunities in 16 games in his first season with the Dodgers. He has struggled since his return, going 1-2 with a 15.88 ERA and three blown saves in seven games.
FLU TO DO IN DENVER
Hunter Feduccia was out of the lineup on Wednesday, largely as a result of experiencing flu-like symptoms during Tuesday’s 7-6 win.
Feduccia left the game after a leadoff strikeout of Troy Johnston in the seventh inning.
“We’re just trying to hydrate him,” Roberts said after Tuesday’s game. “He’s got this stomach bug or food poisoning, something like that. He was scuffling all game, and he went as long as he could go. Obviously, he’ll be down (Wednesday). But he gave us a great effort.”
FREEMAN CLEANS UP
With Feduccia out and left-hander Kyle Freeland on the mound for the Rockies, Roberts did some shuffling of his lineup, most notably moving Freddie Freeman from the No. 2 spot to the fourth spot.
“They got Freeland on the mound today, who’s sort of neutral but a little bit tougher on lefties, and then (left-hander Brennan) Bernardino is one of their better relievers, and they’re going to deploy him at some point today, since we haven’t seen him yet (in the series),” Roberts said of the move in anticipation of facing two pitchers who are tough on left-handed hitters. “Just make it more of a tax before they get to Freddie that fourth time.”
Roberts also gave third baseman Max Muncy and second baseman Tommy Edman the day off.
“We’re at the end of 13 in a row, three in Denver, so just getting some other guys some opportunities, get some guys off their feet,” Roberts said, noting that everyone but Feduccia would be available.
Despite a number of regulars on the bench for Wednesday’s game, right fielder Kyle Tucker remained in the lineup for the third straight game in Colorado, hitting seventh for the second consecutive game. Tucker was 1 for 4 with an RBI double and a run scored on Tuesday night, ending a 26-at-bat skid without a hit.
“I liked Kyle’s energy yesterday,” Roberts said. “The easy thing for me to do is to not play him. But for me, I think what I can do as a way of showing support is play him. There are days that I feel like he needs a day. But Kyle’s in a good head space. I want him to play tonight, and I think he gives us the best chance to win tonight.”
OHTANI’S NEXT THROWING SESSION
Roberts said there’s no final decision yet about whether Shohei Ohtani’s next step in building back to pitching condition is a bullpen session or an inning of live batting practice. Either way, it is likely to take place Friday or Saturday at Dodger Stadium, as Roberts explained that Sunday is a day game and Monday is an off day.
Ohtani stayed on schedule, throwing 35 pitches during a bullpen session on Tuesday afternoon with all of his pitches in the mix. The four-time league MVP is working his way back from left knee inflammation and right biceps discomfort.
Ohtani last pitched July 3 against the San Diego Padres, when he gave up three runs, seven hits and struck out nine over six innings. He is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts this season.
UP NEXT
Pirates (RHP Bubba Chandler, 6-8, 4.23 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-7, 2.60 ERA), Friday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM