Edwin Díaz signed a record-setting contract for a relief pitcher last offseason, but his first season with the Dodgers has been a lost cause, sidelined by a pair of injuries, currently on the sidelines with neck inflammation. Díaz had another bad rehab outing on Sunday with Oklahoma City.
Díaz faced eight batters and retired two of them. He permitted two singles, walked three batters and hit another, and struck out one. He left with three runs already in, and two of his three bequeathed runners scored
after he left. He threw only 13 strikes in his 30 pitches, the third time in four outings on this rehab assignment he’s thrown more balls than strikes.
In his four games over the previous eight days in Triple-A, Díaz has allowed six runs in 3 1/3 innings, with seven walks, four strikeouts, and a hit batter, with 46 balls and 40 strikes. I’m not sure what the Dodgers will do for the final two weeks of the regular season, but Díaz has no place on any postseason roster this year and it would make more sense to look forward to 2027 than activate the veteran closer for any of the final two weeks of the regular season.
Meanwhile, Kris Bubic has been getting outs on his rehab assignment, including 1 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts on Sunday for Oklahoma City. Bubic is a starter but being groomed for relief after the Dodgers acquired him from the Kansas City Royals on August 3, currently sidelined on the 60-day injured list with elbow soreness and shoulder soreness.
But right now Bubic looks healthy and in his six appearances over two weeks in Triple-A has pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings with two singles and two walks allowed, with nine strikeouts among his 21 batters faced, a 42.9-percent strikeout rate.
Player of the day
Infielder Jake Gelof capped off a stellar regular season with another home run on Sunday for Double-A Tulsa. His 34th home run of the season set a modern-era (since 1932) Tulsa record, surpassing Tim Wheeler in 2011 when the Drillers were a Colorado Rockies affiliate.
Gelof, the Dodgers’ second-round draft pick in 2023 out of Virginia, where he set a school record for home runs, had his best professional season to date, hitting .271/.285/.565 with a 138 wRC+, while splitting time at third base,s second base, and first base.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The five runs charged to Díaz were the only runs scored on Sunday in the Comets loss to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros), snapping Oklahoma City’s 14-game win streak.
Cole Irvin started and pitched 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision. The 32-year-old left-hander leads the Pacific Coast League in innings pitched (134), ERA (3.09), and wins (12).
Ryan Fitzgerald had two of Oklahoma City’s four hits, all singles.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers dropped their regular season finale the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals), but finished with a stellar 88-50 record, with 10 more wins than another team in the Texas League.
Tulsa also got reinforcements on Sunday, with High-A Great Lakes eliminated on Friday. Top-100 prospects Eduardo Quintero and Charles Davalan joined the Drillers for the playoff drive. Davalan got a hit, while Quintero hit a two-run home run in his first game in Double-A.
Tulsa starts the Texas League playoffs on Tuesday, Quintero’s 21st birthday.
Transactions
Triple-A: Pitcher Antonio Knowles was activated after missing five weeks on the injured list. He did not pitch on Sunday.
Double-A: Outfielders Eduardo Quintero and Charles Davalan were promoted to Tulsa. Outfielder Augstin Acosta and pitcher Alex Walsh were transferred back to the Arizona Complex League.
Sunday scores
- Sugar Land 5, Oklahoma City 0
- Northwest Arkansas 5, Tulsa 4
The week ahead
- Texas League divisional playoffs: Tulsa vs. Springfield (Cardinals)
- Oklahoma City at El Paso (Padres)
The North Division playoffs is best-of-3 for the Drillers, with Game 1 at second-half winner Springfield before Game 2 and potentially Game 3 in Tulsa on Thursday and Friday. Left-hander Adam Serwinowski starts Game 1 for Tulsa, with righthander Yhoiker Fajardo on the mound for Springfield.
