Dave Roberts Announces Reason for Edwin Diaz Decision After Dodgers Game

Dave Roberts isn’t going to save Edwin Diaz for save situations only.

The Los Angeles Dodgers manager made that clear Tuesday night against the Cleveland Guardians, calling on his $69 million closer to pitch in the ninth inning with the Dodgers winning 4-0. His explanation for the move was characteristically blunt.

“I wanted to win the game,” Roberts said, per Jack Harris of the California Post. “And for me, three, four (runs), Eddie is in, so it’s not just padding his save statistics. I wanted to win the game.”

It was a shaky appearance for Diaz, who began the ninth by hitting Cleveland’s designated hitter, Kyle Manzardo and followed up by walking Rhys Hoskins to put two men on with no outs. Fortunately for Diaz, the damage was limited to a Brayan Rocchio single that brought in Manzardo with one out. Diaz held on with back-to-back strikeouts as the Dodgers improved to 4-1 on the season.

The decision to bring in a closer in non-save situations is worth paying attention to early in the season, when managers tend to be more cautious with pitchers who are starting to get back to a full-season workload. Managers tend to save their closers for higher-pressure spots rather than for big leads. Roberts is showing that he won’t follow suit with Diaz.

The 32-year-old had 28 saves with the New York Mets last season, with a 1.63 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings. Those numbers were enough for Diaz to earn a National League All-Star nod, his first since 2022, for a career total of three. The Dodgers will be relying on Diaz to continue his dominance on the mound for them as they get further into the season.

The Dodgers signed Diaz this offseason for a three-year, $69 million deal, a record for the highest average annual value given to a relief pitcher. The team desperately needed a late-game arm that could consistently shut down opposing teams after navigating a 2025 bullpen that struggled to close out games.

At $23 million per year, the Dodgers will need Diaz healthy and available in October. Using him too frequently is a bold move from Roberts, but it’s a balance that he will have to manage carefully over the long haul.

For now, though, the message is clear: when the game is on the line, save situation or not, Edwin Diaz is their guy.