New Dodgers Closer Edwin Diaz Will Miss Time With Elbow Issue

BusinessSportsMoneyNew Dodgers Closer Edwin Diaz Will Miss Time With Elbow IssueByDan Schlossberg,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dan has written 41 books and more than 25,000 articles about baseball.Follow AuthorApr 20, 2026, 10:04pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Edwin Diaz lost a full season while celebrating a World Baseball Classic win for Team Puerto Rico in 2023.Dan SchlossbergIn baseball, as in life, the best-laid plans aren’t always the best-laid plans.The World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers learned that lesson Monday when they learned star closer Edwin Diaz would be lost at least until midseason after surgery to clear out loose bodies in his right elbow.Hefty ContractDiaz is in the first year of a three-year, $69 million contract that pays him an annual average of $23 million – a record for any closer. The contract, signed last December, also included a $9 million signing bonus, $4.5 million deferred annually, and an option for 2029.The Puerto Rican power pitcher signed the three-year deal with the Dodgers despite the fact that the Atlanta Braves offered him five years. The incumbent New York Mets, who sought to keep him, fell just short in the bidding.Diaz was one of the top prizes of the most recent free-agent market along with another Mets mainstay, slugging first baseman Pete Alonso. With those iconic players, New York entered play Tuesday with an 11-game losing streak, their longest in 24 years.Dodger PrizesThe wealthy Dodgers, whose league-leading payroll is estimated at $415,883,912 million by Spotrac, signed both Diaz and Kyle Tucker, widely considered the best closer and best hitter available through free agency.MORE FOR YOUEdwin Diaz saved just four games for the Dodgers, his new team, before needing elbow surgery. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)Getty ImagesBut Diaz has been struggling and looked es...