Alex

Vesia

Vesia was thrown into the closer role with Tanner Scott having pitched each of the previous two days. He loaded the bases before striking out Cedric Mullins to end it, securing his third save of the season. Expect Scott to continue getting the bulk of save opportunities with Edwin Díaz sidelined, but Vesia will fill in from time to time as well.

Roberts refused to name a set closer but did speculate that Scott might get the most save opportunities. The 31-year-old lefty has gotten off to an excellent start this season and has had success in the ninth inning at previous stops. It’s possible Alex Vesia or Blake Treinen will vulture the occasional save chance, but Scott appears in line to take over the closing role until Díaz returns from elbow surgery in the second half of the year.

It’s a significant loss for the Dodgers, and fantasy managers, with Díaz sidelined until after the All-Star break in mid-July, according to a team statement. The 32-year-old closer was diagnosed with loose bodies in his throwing elbow after experiencing diminished velocity during a relief appearance against the Rockies over the weekend and was placed on the injured list Monday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts refused to name a replacement, which means it will likely be a combination of Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen handling closing duties in his absence. Scott, who boasts a 1.04 ERA this season and has converted 78 career saves, stands out as the strongest fantasy option of the trio.

It felt inevitable that Díaz would be given some time to regroup away from the spotlight after allowing three runs without recording an out in a non-save situation against the Rockies on Sunday. The 32-year-old elite fantasy closer’s fastball velocity has been down recently and the results have been cringe-inducing to put it mildly. Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia are the logical choices to handle the ninth-inning role during his absence. There is no timetable for his return yet.

Díaz hasn’t pitched since last Friday due to a minor right knee issue with Alex Vesia stepping in for a pair of saves earlier this week against New York. The 32-year-old elite closer figures to make an appearance against his former club on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

With the Dodgers up by one run in the ninth inning, it was Vesia who was summoned to close out the game against the heart of the Mets order. He slammed the door on New York, striking out the side to secure the win and convert his second save. After the game, manager Dave Roberts stated that Edwin Díaz was unavailable after throwing a bullpen session earlier in the day. The team wanted to see Díaz throw before putting him in game action following his blown save with diminished velocity last Friday. Robert said Díaz has been cleared and will get the next save chance.

Díaz has exhibited decreased velocity early in the season — including while giving up three runs in a blown save against the Rangers on Friday night. They’ll see how he’s feeling on Sunday before making a determination on his status, but it’s possible that the club ends up taking an extremely cautious approach and sits him down for a while to make sure that he gets right. Alex Vesia picked up a save in his absence on Saturday.

Blake Treinen got the first two outs of the inning, but the Dodgers called on Vesia to get the final out, and get the final out he did. The 30-year-old will be a key cog in the Dodgers’ bullpen in 2026, but don’t expect many more save chances.

Vesia will get a $1.25 million raise after amassing a 3.02 ERA in 59 2/3 innings last season. The 29-year-old would have been eligible for arbitration for the last time had the option been declined.

Scott was removed from the team’s roster during the NLDS after undergoing a lower body abscess procedure. The Dodgers were hopeful that he would be ready to return for the start of the World Series, but he isn’t quite there yet. Vesia is still away from the team while navigating a deeply personal family matter. Ben Casparius was removed from the roster along with Vesia while Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein were added. Michael Conforto remains off the roster as well. The Dodgers will kick off the Fall Classic in Toronto on Friday evening against Trey Yesavage and the Blue Jays.