The Los Angeles Dodgers lost their fourth game out of the last five on Wednesday, falling to the division rival San Francisco Giants and wasting a gem from starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani.
After Ohtani pitched six innings of shutout baseball with seven strikeouts, the Dodgers’ bullpen was tested following a notable injury to star closer Edwin Diaz. And the relievers came up short, giving up the lead in the seventh inning.
“(Giants catcher Patrick) Bailey hammered a three-run shot to snap a scoreless tie in the seventh inning and spur the Giants to a 3-0 win that clinched a series victory over the rival Dodgers on Wednesday night at Oracle Park,” Maria Guardado wrote for MLB.com. “The Giants (11-13) were shut out through the first six innings by two-way star Shohei Ohtani, but they finally managed to break the deadlock against left-hander Jack Dreyer in the bottom of the seventh.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Lose $69 Million Star To Elbow Surgery After Disappointing Debut
Going into this season, the Dodgers’ only real weakness appeared to be the bullpen, which struggled en route to the team’s World Series championship last year. But the Dodgers seemed to shore up that weakness by signing Diaz to a three-year, $69 million contract.
However, he failed to live up to expectations in his Dodgers debut, with a notable downtick in velocity. And the team then revealed that it found “loose bodies” in his elbow, which required surgery.
Diaz will be recovering for an extended period, though he’s expected back at some point this season. In the meantime, the Dodgers’ bullpen will face a tough test without him.
“Díaz’s departure calls for a dramatic change at the back of the Dodgers’ bullpen, with no obvious heir apparent waiting in the wings,” Owen Perkins wrote for MLB.com.
Los Angeles Dodgers Star Closer Edwin Diaz Breaks Silence After Surgery
Given his importance to the team’s “three-peat” championship aspirations, Diaz’s recovery will be watched closely. And he offered the first public update following his surgery on Wednesday by sending a five-word message via social media.
“Now to come back stronger,” the star closer wrote in an Instagram story.
His wife, Nashaly Diaz, offered a more specific update via her own Instagram account.
“Thank God Edwin came out of surgery well,” she posted. “It was a success.”
A successful surgery is the first step toward Diaz performing like the Dodgers’ hoped he would after adding him to their star-studded roster. But following a concerning debut and a surprising injury just a handful of games into his tenure with the team, it seems there is a long way to go before the reliever can help close out any meaningful games down the stretch.
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