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Dodgers leave door open to Edwin Diaz reclaiming closer’s role: ‘Certainly possible’

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Cite

Harris, J. (2026, September 23). Dodgers leave door open to Edwin Diaz reclaiming closer’s role: ‘Certainly possible’. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/23/sports/could-edwin-diaz-reclaim-dodgers-closer-role-certainly-possible/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

New York Post · collected 2026-09-23 · by Jack Harris

Quick Summary

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated that Edwin Díaz could potentially return to the closer’s role for the playoffs after a strong performance in recent outings. Díaz, who was struggling earlier this season with an ERA of nearly 12.00 and questions about his playoff roster spot, has thrown three scoreless appearances since returning from injury, including a dominant fifth inning against the San Diego Padres where he retired key batters without giving up a hit or walk. Roberts noted Díaz’s recent mechanical adjustments during rehab as significant progress but emphasized that other closer options like Tanner Scott and Roki Sasaki are also being considered for playoff roles.
Written by AI on 2026-09-23, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts left the door open for Edwin Díaz to reclaim his closer role as the team heads into the playoffs. A week ago, it wasn't clear if Díaz would even make the playoff roster due to a poor season that included an ERA of nearly 12.00 and multiple injuries following his $69 million signing last offseason. However, since returning from the injured list, Díaz has shown signs of improvement with three consecutive scoreless appearances, including one hit, one walk, and six strikeouts in his most recent outing on Tuesday against the San Diego Padres. Roberts acknowledged that it remains "certainly possible" for Díaz to factor into the team's ninth-inning plans this October, despite the ideal scenario being a set closer entering the playoffs.

Written for “Dodgers Pitching Role Uncertainty” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Dodgers Pitching Role Uncertainty
Sports · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 21% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 17 claims Outlet record 64/100
“The articles discuss different roster moves and performances by different pitchers on separate dates.”
New York Post
Hedges 1 of 20 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles discuss different topics related to the Dodgers: one about Shohei Ohtani's return from injury and another about Edwin Díaz potentially reclaiming his closer role.”
New York Post
Hedges 0 of 13 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles discuss different topics related to the Dodgers team and do not describe the same specific incident.”
New York Post
Hedges 5 of 32 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles discuss different aspects of the Dodgers' playoff strategy and performance, not a single specific incident.”
New York Post
Hedges 5 of 26 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles discuss different time periods and focus on different players for potential roster spots.”
New York Post
Hedges 0 of 43 claims Outlet record 66/100
“While both articles discuss Edwin Díaz's recent performance and potential to regain his closer role, they refer to different time periods and outcomes within the broader context of his season.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 5 claims Outlet record 64/100
“The articles describe different phases of Edwin Díaz's return to play and his performance, not a single identical incident.”
New York Post
Hedges 13 of 42 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A discusses potential postseason roster projections for multiple players including Edwin Díaz, while Article B specifically mentions a change in Díaz's status as a possible closer but does not cover the same specific event or time frame.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
24
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
21%
5 of 24 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-23 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 15208 article(s) · 35 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 35 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Jack Harris
92 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 What Friedman didn’t do, however, was say that the Dodgers would be all-in on Skubal this winter, or that they would do whatever it takes to lock him up in a free agency process that is expected to end with the soon-to-be 30-year-old breaking Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s record guarantee of $325 million for a pitcher.
🔮 After the team was eliminated from the National League Championship Series last week, Ohtani said he was not sure if he would need any offseason procedures.
🔮 When a new CBA is struck, and what changes to the league’s financial structure it could possibly entail, is still anyone’s guess.
🔮 This season, the group couldn’t replicate that success, enduring adversity during an injury-plagued regular season and then failure against a relentless Brewers offense in the team’s National League Championship Series elimination.
🔮 “Yes, definitely,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton on Thursday night, when asked if he intended to return to pitching in 2027.
🔮 Rojas will remain in the Dodgers’ organization moving forward, having agreed to transition into player development after 2026 when he re-signed as a free agent with the club this winter.
🔮 Instead, despite a 100-win regular season and league-record $432 million payroll, the two-time defending champions were eliminated in the National League Championship Series by the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, ending their bid for history and sending them into an uncertain offseason –– one that could include an extended lockout, notable changes to the roster, and existential questions about how to retool around their aging veteran core.
🔮 Just a fourth-straight loss and an embarrassing elimination that will send the Dodgers into a long, regretful winter full of future uncertainty.
🔮 After striking out in his first at-bat Thursday night, Ohtani delivered the kind of moment the Dodgers had been waiting for all October, unloading on a down-and-in cutter from ex-Dodger Dustin May to give the Dodgers an early 4-0 lead in their elimination game.
🔮 Whenever the offseason arrives, notable changes could be coming to the Dodgers’ clubhouse. Freeman and Muncy won’t be going anywhere, nor will other core veterans such as Mookie Betts, Will Smith or Shohei Ohtani. But Miguel Rojas is likely to retire.
Also by Jack Harris
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 92 articles by Jack Harris →

Topics

Dodgers Padres World Series the San Diego Padres

Subjects

Dodgers ORG · 6× Roberts PERSON · 6× Díaz PERSON · 4× Dave Roberts PERSON · 1× Dustin Harris PERSON · 1× Edwin Díaz PERSON · 1× Fernando Tatis Jr. PERSON · 1× Manny Machado PERSON · 1× Padres ORG · 1× the San Diego Padres ORG · 1×

Narrative

That marked the right-hander’s third scoreless appearance in a row –– a stretch that has included only one hit, one walk and six strikeouts –– and continued an unforeseen return to form triggered by a recent mechanical adjustment he made during a minor-league rehab stint.
framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-23
🔮 In a perfect world, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, the team would like to have one set closer entering the playoffs.

Claims (24 extracted, 5 hedged)

In a perfect world, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, the team would like to have one set closer entering the playoffs. asserted
team → say → playoffs
And by the end of Tuesday’s 7-0 win over the San Diego Padres, one unexpected name might have thrown their hat back into the ring. uncertain
name → throw → ring
A week ago, the Dodgers were not certain Edwin Díaz would even be on their playoff roster, after the $69 million offseason signing lost his closer job amid an injury-plagued season marred by an ERA of nearly 12.00. asserted
signing → lose → 12.00
In three outings since returning from the injured list, however, the three-time All-Star has suddenly looked like his old dominant self again. asserted
Star → return → self
So much so, Roberts said it remains “certainly possible” that he could factor into the Dodgers’ ninth-inning October plans. uncertain
he → say → plans
Roberts made that claim after Díaz’s best performance yet, when he retired the top of the Padres’ batting order in order in a dominant fifth-inning sequence. uncertain
he → make → sequence
That marked the right-hander’s third scoreless appearance in a row –– a stretch that has included only one hit, one walk and six strikeouts –– and continued an unforeseen return to form triggered by a recent mechanical adjustment he made during a minor-league rehab stint. asserted
he → mark → stint
“His last three have been fantastic with us,” Roberts said. asserted
Roberts → say → us
“I wanted to see him against their better hitters, and he did a really nice job.” asserted
he → want → job
Indeed, Díaz began his inning by ringing up Fernando Tatis Jr. on a front-door slider. asserted
Díaz → begin → slider
He then fanned Dustin Harris at the end of a nine-pitch at-bat with a swing-and-miss slider. asserted
He → fan → slider
Had he used an ABS challenge, he could have punched out Manny Machado too. uncertain
he → use → Machado
But he retired him all the same with a soft tapper back to the mound. asserted
he → retire → mound
“Given all that he’s had to go through this year,” Roberts said, “to right the ship is a big credit to him. asserted
right → give → him
” But will it be enough to put him back in consideration for closing duties? asserted
it → put → duties
Roberts made sure not to shut that door yet. asserted
Roberts → make → door
“The way he’s throwing, the ninth is possible, yes,” the manager said. asserted
manager → throw → ?
At the very least, it adds one more subplot to the final week of the Dodgers’ regular season. asserted
it → add → season
The team, of course, has other closer options to consider. asserted
team → have → options
Tanner Scott has converted 23 of 27 save opportunities with a 2.77 ERA as Díaz’s replacement this year. asserted
Scott → convert → replacement
Roki Sasaki has also returned to relief duties as he did at the end of last season, when he emerged as an emergency closing option during the Dodgers’ run to a second-straight World Series. asserted
he → return → Series
And as Roberts noted Tuesday, a closer-by-committee plan remains in play, as well. asserted
plan → note → play
But as the Dodgers set out for a three-peat this year, they always envisioned Díaz –– and his trademark trumpet bullpen entrance –– being a staple at the end of games. asserted
Díaz → set → games
Though he suffered a career-worst campaign, converting just seven of 11 save opportunities while missing three months with an elbow injury and another with neck inflammation, there might be time for him to reclaim his original role yet. uncertain
him → suffer → role
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