LOS ANGELES, CA—It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers since the All-Star break, but after a sweep of the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, the team had hoped to turn a corner as we approach mid-August.
However, that wasn't the case as the Dodgers opened a critical four-game weekend series against the National League-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
While last week's lulls largely stemmed from the offense failing to hit consistently, much of the blame also falls on the Dodgers bullpen, which has been a far cry from its early-season success, including All-Star closer Edwin Díaz.
Last night, Díaz blew his third game in a week, leading to another frustrating loss against a team that entered just one game above Los Angeles for the best record in the NL.
It’s a pill of Deja Vu, as these struggles were an area of the team last season, as the bullpen struggled throughout the 2025 season, including the 9th inning, as newly signed closer Tanner Scott had a career-worst season in Year One in Dodger Blue.
Now, the team faces a similar dilemma, and there is no clear answer about where it will go next, but it’s an issue that must be addressed.
“Give Me Another Option”: Roberts’ Blunt Admission After Another Díaz Meltdown
After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was noticeably annoyed, likely due to yet another 9th-inning blunder by his recently activated closer, along with constant questions from the media about what’s next for Díaz and whether he should be removed from the closer role.
“Give me another option,” Roberts told the media. “I can’t just say change and use Díaz in lower leverage; I have to have other options. And, to be quite honest, none of those guys really are throwing the baseball great. So that’s just kind of the way it is.
“We’ve got to get other guys on track to even have that be a valid conversation, to be honest with you.”
There’s a reason Dave Roberts is asking for another option. The Dodgers’ bullpen has been anything but reliable since the start of the second half, ranking eighth in MLB with a 4.86 ERA and eighth with a 4.69 FIP while sitting 20th in fWAR at 0.20.
Edgardo Henriquez has been a roller coaster all season and has struggled even more in the second half, posting a 6.75 ERA. Evan Phillips, meanwhile, is being asked to handle high-leverage innings after missing nearly two years while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and the results haven’t been pretty: a 5.63 ERA and a 3.38 HR rate.
It doesn’t stop there. Left-hander Alex Vesia, another key leverage arm, has also hit a rough patch, carrying a 4.35 ERA while allowing home runs at a 1.74 rate over 10 innings.
And then there’s the injury situation. Blake Treinen remains on the injured list, while Will Klein — one of the bullpen’s most dependable arms in the first half — has been shut down after a disastrous second half in which he posted a 16.20 ERA while dealing with loose bodies in his right elbow.
In other words, Roberts isn’t exactly swimming in options. The Dodgers need someone to step up quickly, because if Díaz can’t be trusted in the ninth and the rest of the bullpen isn’t pitching well enough to replace him, Los Angeles has a serious problem on its hands.
Tanner Scott Could Be the Answer, But Díaz Still Needs to Find His Way
The logical answer for the 9th-inning woes is giving lefty Tanner Scott the reins, as he’s been the best arm in the Dodgers bullpen this season, including in the second half, where he’s posted a 0.96 ERA with an elite 9.64 strikeout rate.
Scott did come in the ballgame yesterday, retiring one batter in the 8th inning, getting left-handed hitting veteran Christina Yellich to a flyout to left field in a five-pitch at-bat.
You could pose the question of why Roberts opted to bring in Scott for just one hitter, one of the Brewers' worst hitters at that, or why he didn't ask his equally talented arm, who has closing experience, for a much-needed four-out save, especially given that Díaz blew two saves in Phoenix just a few days ago.
But as Roberts pointed out during his presser, Díaz has to get out of his funk, as the team will need him in the long run, especially come October.
If Díaz Keeps Struggling, What Does the 9th Inning Look Like Come October?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That will likely be the Dodgers’ mindset heading into October as they lean on their 13 or 14 best arms, regardless of whether those pitchers traditionally work out of the bullpen. That could mean seeing starters like Justin Wrobleski, Eric Lauer, Tyler Glasnow, and even Roki Sasaki take on relief innings when the stakes are highest.
The Dodgers have the depth to get creative in October — and that flexibility could be especially valuable if their bullpen remains a question mark.
We saw it last postseason with great success, including from Sasaki, who was the MVP during the Dodgers’ NLDS matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Scott, who had struggled all last season, was even replaced on the NLDS roster due to a lower-body injury, and don’t be so surprised if the Dodgers do that yet again with Díaz, who already had surgery on his right elbow to remove loose bodies and missed nearly three months of this season.