Overview
- Edwin Díaz blew his third save in four appearances on Thursday and has allowed eight runs in 5 2/3 innings since he returned from elbow surgery on July 29, producing a 12.71 ERA in that stretch.
- Manager Dave Roberts publicly defended Díaz and said he will remain the closer because other relievers have not been consistently reliable enough to replace him.
- Several Dodgers relievers have better season ERAs than Díaz but the bullpen has been inconsistent recently, and Thursday’s loss dropped Los Angeles two games behind Milwaukee for the NL’s best record.
- In the American League, Miguel Vargas went 4-for-5 with two homers to help the White Sox extend their AL Central lead to 3½ games while Tigers rookie Jackson Jobe struggled as he rebuilds after Tommy John surgery and Justin Verlander took a catch-only step in his ramp-up.
- Roster stresses after the trade deadline are forcing teams to rely on internal depth and short-term moves, with the Blue Jays placing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in seven-day concussion protocol and clubs managing careful rehab plans to protect long-term availability.