Edwin Diaz could be left out when the Los Angeles Dodgers open the playoffs at the end of the month.
The superstar closer has struggled during his rehab outings as he works his way back from neck inflammation. In his most recent appearance on Sunday, Diaz allowed five runs on two hits and three walks while recording only two outs with triple-A Oklahoma City.
With two weeks to go in the season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked about Diaz's chances to contribute at the MLB level again this season.
"He needs to pitch better. It hasn't been good," Roberts said, according to MLB.com's Sonja Chen and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ardaya added that "Roberts left the door open that Diaz isn’t on the post-season roster if his performance doesn’t improve."
The Dodgers signed Diaz to a three-year, $69-million contract in free agency last winter but injuries completely derailed his season. He missed three months with an elbow injury and returned on July 29, only to hit the injured list again two weeks later with the neck injury he is recovering from.
When he has been healthy, Diaz has struggled to lock down games. He has appeared in 16 games but only pitched 13.2 innings, with an 11.85 ERA and just seven saves.
The Dodgers (90-59) are comfortably leading the National League West but competing with the Atlanta Braves for a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
