The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2026 season with one of the most expensive and talented bullpens in Major League Baseball. Adding Edwin Díaz to a group that already featured Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer appeared to give Los Angeles plenty of options for the late innings.
Instead, the bullpen has become one of the biggest concerns surrounding the Dodgers as October approaches.
Díaz has struggled badly since returning from elbow surgery, while injuries and inconsistent performances have forced manager Dave Roberts to constantly adjust his late-inning plans. Scott has emerged as the most reliable option, but the Dodgers still need several other relievers to find consistency if they want to make another deep postseason run.
Edwin Díaz was supposed to solve one of the Dodgers’ biggest problems.
Los Angeles signed Díaz to a three-year, $69 million contract during the offseason with the expectation that he would become the team’s unquestioned closer. Instead, his first season with the Dodgers has been one of the most disappointing campaigns of his career.
Díaz underwent elbow surgery in April and missed several months before returning to the Dodgers’ bullpen on July 29. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the dominant closer the organization expected has not returned yet.
Through Aug. 18, Díaz has posted an 11.85 ERA with seven saves in 13 2/3 innings. Since returning from the injured list, he has been even worse, posting a 12.91 ERA over 7 2/3 innings.
The Dodgers finally placed Díaz back on the injured list after he experienced neck pain during a recent appearance. The move came after another difficult outing and gives the veteran reliever additional time to address both his physical condition and mechanical problems.
That is where the biggest concern lies.
Díaz’s struggles cannot simply be blamed on bad luck. The right hander’s command has been inconsistent, his pitches have not looked as sharp and he has struggled to put hitters away. Dave Roberts has acknowledged that mechanical issues could be contributing to the problem.
The Dodgers still have plenty of time to get Díaz right before the postseason. If he can return healthy and rediscover his fastball and slider, Los Angeles could suddenly have one of the best late-inning combinations in baseball.
But right now, trusting Díaz with a major postseason lead would be extremely difficult.
If Díaz cannot regain his form, Tanner Scott should be the obvious alternative.
Scott entered 2026 with something to prove after a disappointing first season with Los Angeles. The veteran posted a 4.74 ERA and an MLB-worst 10 blown saves in 2025, raising questions about whether the Dodgers could trust him in the ninth inning.
The answer has been very different this year.
Scott has bounced back in a major way, posting a 2.32 ERA through his first 33 appearances. The reliever has also already demonstrated that he can handle the ninth inning when needed, earning saves in consecutive games against Tampa Bay without allowing a baserunner.
That makes the situation with Díaz particularly interesting.
The Dodgers originally envisioned Scott as a setup option behind Díaz. However, Scott’s performance has arguably made him the team’s safest late-inning reliever. With Díaz now back on the injured list, Roberts has turned to Scott as the closer.
Could that continue into October?
Absolutely.
There is no reason the Dodgers need to force Díaz back into the closer role simply because of his contract. October baseball is about putting the best players in the most important situations. If Scott continues pitching like he has throughout 2026, he deserves serious consideration to remain the closer even if Díaz returns.
Ideally, the Dodgers would have both pitchers performing at their best. Díaz could handle the ninth while Scott works as an elite setup option, or the roles could be reversed depending on matchups.
For now, however, Scott has earned the right to be considered the Dodgers’ most trustworthy closer.
The Dodgers’ bullpen problems do not stop with Díaz.
Alex Vesia has been an important member of the relief corps for several seasons, but Los Angeles needs more consistency from him as October gets closer. Vesia’s 2026 numbers have remained respectable overall, including a 2.79 ERA according to current season statistics, but his recent results have been less encouraging.
That inconsistency matters because Vesia could have a significant role against left-handed hitters in the postseason.
Jack Dreyer is another intriguing piece of the bullpen. The young left-hander emerged as a dependable option last season and showed plenty of promise early in 2026. Before a shoulder issue sidelined him, Dreyer had a 2.08 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP and a 24-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 21 2/3 innings.
Dreyer’s return gives Roberts another potential high-leverage option, but the Dodgers cannot assume that every reliever will suddenly become reliable in October.
That is the bigger issue with this bullpen.
There is talent everywhere, but talent does not automatically translate into consistency. Los Angeles has experienced too many stretches where one reliever struggles immediately after another. That puts additional pressure on the rotation and forces Roberts to use his best relievers more frequently.
Recent reports have also highlighted the workload problem. Díaz and Scott were each used five times in an eight-day stretch during one difficult portion of the schedule.
That is not a sustainable formula for October.
I am not saying the Dodgers have a terrible bullpen.
Quite the opposite.
There is enough talent here for this group to become one of the best bullpens in baseball. Scott has bounced back, Vesia remains capable of being a major contributor and Dreyer has shown that he can handle important innings. If Díaz gets healthy and finds his form, Los Angeles could have an embarrassment of riches.
But right now, the bullpen is the biggest reason I have concerns about the Dodgers in October.
The rotation can be dominant. The lineup is loaded with superstar talent. The organization has arguably more postseason experience than any team in baseball.
Yet none of that matters if the bullpen cannot protect leads.
The Dodgers do not need Díaz to become the 2022 version of himself overnight. They simply need a dependable group of relievers who can consistently get three to six outs when the game is on the line.
Scott currently looks like that guy.
Now Los Angeles needs the rest of the bullpen to follow his lead.
If it does, the Dodgers will be extremely difficult to beat in October. If it does not, the bullpen could once again become the reason a championship-caliber Dodgers roster falls short.
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