Overview
- Thursday night at Dodger Stadium Díaz allowed four straight one-out singles in the ninth and gave up a three-run rally that cost the Dodgers a 5-4 loss to the Brewers.
- Since returning from elbow surgery on July 29 Díaz has allowed eight runs in 5 2/3 innings, producing a 12.71 ERA and three blown saves in his last four appearances.
- Dave Roberts publicly defended leaving Díaz in the ninth, saying he does not have another reliever he trusts for high-leverage work and asking reporters to “give me another option.”
- The Dodgers have internal options such as Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henriquez and Jack Dreyer whose season ERAs are better but who have also been uneven recently, making a role change complicated.
- The collapse shrinks margin for error in the race for home-field benefits and forces the Dodgers to weigh giving Díaz runway to recover against reshaping late-inning roles and September roster plans.