Edwin Diaz said Monday he was feeling good five days after elbow surgery in Los Angeles and hopes to be back after the All-Star break in July. The Dodgers reliever had five loose bodies removed from his pitching arm last Wednesday and said he can move it well.
“Everything went well,” Diaz said, adding that he was “really surprised” by how quickly his arm felt better after the operation. He said he has not had the stitches out and will not resume throwing for a couple of weeks.
Diaz knew about the loose bodies since 2012, when the Seattle Mariners drafted him out of Puerto Rico, but he said he never had problems until this spring. He was not comfortable throwing April 19 at Colorado and did not get an out in the eighth inning of a 9-6 loss, allowing three runs and three hits with one walk.
“My arm was feeling tired and tight,” Diaz said, adding that he thinks that may have made his velocity inconsistent. “It’s the first time in my career my arm is sore.”
The surgery comes at a difficult moment for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed Diaz to a three-year, $69 million deal in the offseason after he left the New York Mets as a free agent. He was still settling in and had gone 1-0 with a 10.50 ERA in seven games before the injury.
Across his career, Diaz is 29-36 with a 2.91 ERA in 527 games, with 257 saves in 300 opportunities and 849 strikeouts. The Dodger Stadium trumpet has gone quiet while he is on the shelf, with jazz musician Tatiana Tate having played a live version of “Narco” for his entrance music.
Diaz said his teammates have told him not to rush, even as he wants to return as soon as possible. “That stinks to miss the first half, but that's something I can't control,” he said. “I’m going to work on my body” so he can “come back strong and help this team to win.” He also joked that Tate “will be out of work for a couple months,” but hoped she would be back on the trumpet when he returns.