Alexis Diaz is back in the Major Leagues, having been called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City by the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to their 3-1 loss in Milwaukee Tuesday evening.
A native of Humacao, Puerto Rico, Diaz was traded to the Dodgers by the Cincinnati Reds on May 29, after the former closer had a disappointing start to the year that saw him put up a 12.00 ERA in six innings of work and six appearances. Diaz allowed eight runs, all of them earned, on eight hits and allowed four homers, striking out three and walking five before the Reds sent him to Triple-A Louisville.
Things didn’t go much better for the 28-year-old former All-Star in Louisville, where he had a 5.93 ERA in 13 2/3 innings before the Reds sent him to the Dodgers in exchange for minor league pitcher Mike Villani on May 29. The Dodgers immediately assigned him to Oklahoma City, where he threw 4 2/3 innings over six appearances, allowing five earned runs on two hits and seven walks.
The Dodgers sent reliever Julian Fernandez to Oklahoma City to clear roster space for Diaz, who finished fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting in 2022 and was an All-Star the next year.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com that he thinks Diaz, the brother of New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz, can still be effective in the Major Leagues, though he doesn’t expect to use him in tight spots for a bit.
“There’s been some good, some not so good,” Roberts told MLB.com. “Just trying to be consistent with the delivery. I think the arm still works. The stuff is still good. But the consistency of strike-throwing is what we haven’t seen yet from Alexis.”
Photo: Alexis Díaz (43) speaks with pitching coach Derek Johnson, right, during the ninth inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
