Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz is out for months with an elbow injury that will indeed require a procedure, needing a full recovery process and rehabilitation as he works his way back on the mound. With the extended absence, the Dodgers don’t have a certified closer, leaving an obvious question: Who will be stepping up for the Dodgers in the late-inning moments?The front office was certainly hoping that they would not be in this position, spending $69 million to solve the closer role once and for all. The Dodgers did the same in 2025, hoping to make Tanner Scott the closer, but he struggled, posting a below-replacement-level season.
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesNow, they are left contending with a similar issue in back-to-back seasons.
It won’t be easy, but the Dodgers have quality pitching depth as an organization. Alex VesiaVesia has been the best reliever out of the bullpen for the Dodgers. He has not allowed an earned run through 10 games and 8.2 innings pitched.
He has racked up 0.3 fWAR with a 1.86 FIP, meaning his results are not luck-based. Despite his fastball velocity being down at 91.1 mph on average, he is still generating swings and misses with his slider and changeup. During his outings, he provides energy on the mound and seems to get the team going as a whole.
Overall, given his confidence and experience within the organization, Vesia should be more than capable of stepping into higher-leverage spots and delivering results. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Doug McKain (@dmac_la)Tanner ScottTanner Scott is delivering whiffs and not walking hitters, allowing less hard contact than he did in 2025. His numbers are elite to start the year, giving up just one run in 8.2 innings, which came on a homer.
He struggles in a close role during the 2025 regular season, but the team will need to lean on him more than expected in that spot, and his resurgence suggests better results may follow. His pitches are catching batter’s barrels less often, and as a result, he is having weaker fly-outs and attacking the zone more often as well. Scott’s profile suggests that he can get outs with his slider if it is firing, and luckily for the Dodgers, it is indeed generating chases and complementing his fastball well.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Noel Sanchez (@noisebynoel)Will KleinThe Dodgers love to play the match-up game, and their two best relievers on the team right now are southpaws. Without Diaz, a righty, they lack a high-leverage right-handed pitcher, and that is where Klein can fit in. The organization is high on him, with expectations that he would take on a bigger role in 2026 after his 2025 postseason heroics.
He has been good overall, with a 2.79 ERA over 9.2 innings. However, he has not been thrust into the higher leverage moments, but with Diaz out, Klein is set to take on any righty-heavy matchups.