LOS ANGELES, CA—After a stretch of 13 games in 13 days, the Los Angeles Dodgers get a much-needed day off before the team begins a short three-game homestand versus the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chavez Ravine.
After a sloppy four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers last weekend, the Dodgers rebounded well, sweeping their National League West rival, the Colorado Rockies, in Denver, pushing their lead for the No. 2 seed in the NL over the Atlanta Braves to 2.5 games while only being 1.5 games back of the Brewers for the best record in baseball.
However, as we get closer to the end of August, we got plenty of updates on Will Smith, Tyler Glasnow, Edwin Díaz, and yet another bullpen roster move after right-hander Brock Stewart was activated off the injured list.
Dodgers Get a Better Picture of Edwin Díaz’s Neck Injury After MRI
For the second time this season, former All-Star closer Edwin Díaz landed on the injured list; however, this time, the right-hander is not expected to miss as much time as the first instance.
After allowing three earned runs in a mop-up role at Coors Field, pushing his ERA to over 12 since his activation off the IL, the team opted to place him back there due to neck inflammation.
Before Tuesday’s game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that Díaz would fly to Los Angeles to get an MRI, and during yesterday’s series finale, the skipper shared encouraging news on the status of his closer.
“It went well. There was no findings, so that was good,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The MRI was clean. It doesn’t change the fact that he had the sensation in his neck, but I think kind of keep working on it, give it some rest as far as throwing a baseball. But I think it was a best-case scenario.”
Díaz’s struggles have reached a breaking point, with the veteran posting a 12.91 ERA and three blown saves across nine appearances since returning from the 60-day injured list. The Dodgers placed him on the 15-day IL before Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, recalling Emmet Sheehan to take his spot.
The move comes during the first season of Díaz’s three-year, $69 million contract and creates an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu for the Dodgers. His situation closely mirrors Tanner Scott’s disastrous first season in Los Angeles in 2025, when the high-priced reliever struggled after signing a four-year, $72 million deal.
Based on Dave Roberts’ comments, Díaz appears poised to remain the team’s closer for now. But with the regular season entering its final month, the right-hander needs to show real progress quickly. If the struggles continue, the Dodgers may have no choice but to make the difficult decision to change Díaz’s role before October to give themselves the best chance of winning in the postseason.
In the meantime, left-handed arm Tanner Scott will take over the 9th-inning role, and that was to be expected, as Scott has been the Dodgers' best arm in relief this season.
Another Bullpen Shakeup: Dodgers Activate Brock Stewart, Designate Jonathan Hernández for Assignment
Before Wednesday’s game, the Dodgers made yet another move for their bullpen, this time activating right-handed relief pitcher Brock Stewart from the 15-day IL.
Stewart is back with the Dodgers after missing nearly three weeks with right shoulder soreness, adding another arm to a bullpen that has undergone plenty of changes lately. The injury came after he had already spent just over a month on the injured list because of a bone spur in his left foot.
The 34-year-old has been limited to just 14.2 innings this season but had carved out a high-leverage role when healthy. Stewart has posted a 2.45 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 25.5% strikeout rate, while walking 9.1% of the batters he has faced.
“He’s done a great job when he’s been active and really pitching well,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said while Stewart was recovering from the shoulder issue. “So we have to make sure that with the calendar on our side, we’ve got to protect him and take the couple of weeks, and then get him back soon.”
Stewart also underwent right shoulder surgery last year, which delayed the start of his season, but the Dodgers did not believe his latest bout of soreness was related to that procedure.
Stewart’s return comes at an important time for a Dodgers bullpen in need of reinforcements. Edwin Díaz struggled after returning from right elbow surgery before landing back on the injured list with neck inflammation.
With Díaz sidelined, Tanner Scott has taken over as the closer, putting even more pressure on the Dodgers to find reliable arms capable of handling high-leverage situations. Stewart’s return could provide a much-needed boost as the team heads toward October.
The corresponding move for Stewart's activation was Jonathan Hernández, who was DFA’d for the third time by the Dodgers this season.
Hernández posted a 5.68 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across 16 appearances with the Dodgers this season. His final outing came in the series finale against the Brewers, when he delivered three scoreless innings to help preserve an overworked bullpen.
Despite that strong finish, Hernández’s overall numbers ultimately weren’t enough to keep his spot on the roster as the Dodgers make room for Stewart’s return.
Tyler Glasnow Dominates in Final Minor League Tuneup Before Dodgers Activation
Like last season, the Dodgers starting rotation is set to be a massive strength heading into October, headlined by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and now Tyler Glasnow, who looked sharp in his final minor league rehab outing.
Glasnow was sharp for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets on Wednesday, which is expected to be his final game there per Dave Roberts.
Overall, the right-hander went 5.1 innings on the road in Sugar Land, Texas, throwing 54 of his 77 pitches for strikes, allowing just one run on one hit while striking out nine hitters.
Glasnow left after one out in the sixth with a runner on first, but was charged with a run after Oklahoma City reliever Paul Gervase allowed a double and an RBI groundout.
His velocity was right where the Dodgers want it, averaging 95.5 mph on his four-seamer and 95.4 mph on his sinker, with respective peaks of 96.9 and 97.2 mph. Glasnow generated 12 whiffs on 39 swings (30.8%) and struck out five hitters with his knuckle curve, two with his sinker and two with his four-seamer.
Now Glasnow is set to rejoin the Dodgers rotation during the team’s upcoming six-game road trip next week in Atlanta and Detroit.
Before landing on the 60-day IL, Glasnow was having a great start to the 2026 season, holding a 2.72 ERA across seven starts.
Glasnow’s activation will likely force left-hander Eric Lauer to the bullpen as a bulk innings eater, a role that Justin Wrobleksi would've also been in if he didn't land on the 15-day IL.
Latest on Will Smith as Dodgers Catcher Nears a Potential Rehab Assignment
The Dodgers All-Star catcher has been sidelined for nealry two months since suffering a neck injury in June; however, after Will Smith resumed baseball activities and came out feeling well, the right-handed slugger appears to be gearing up for a rehab assignment.
Smith took batting practice on the field last Friday for the first time since landing on the injured list and is expected to take the next step by facing live pitching this week.
If everything goes according to plan, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Smith could begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week.
“[There is a chance] for a lot of live [batting practices] for him, facing pitchers, and then I think there’s a chance that he goes out on rehab next week,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So I think hopefully, if this is a good week, then he could go out on rehab.”
It remains unclear which Minor League affiliate Smith would join, though position players are allowed to spend up to 20 days on a rehab assignment.
That said, Smith likely won’t need nearly that long. If his rehab progresses smoothly, he could potentially rejoin the Dodgers when active rosters expand on Sept. 1. Since the Dodgers currently have a full 40-man roster, they will need to make a corresponding move when Smith is ready to return.
Smith is hitting .249/.338/.382 with five doubles, six home runs, and 23 RBI in 201 plate appearances over 52 games this season.
The return of Smith will give a massive boost to the Dodgers’ lineup and pitching staff, which have equally missed his presence, including young backstop Dalton Rushing, who went on the IL earlier this month due to a UCL strain.
The Dodgers have relied on Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia behind the plate, but neither has provided much offensively. Getting Smith back within the next couple of weeks would be a major boost for a lineup in need of more firepower.
Smith wasn’t at his best before the injury, but his talent and postseason track record make him a potential game-changer for October.