LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Cue the trumpet. is back to close out games for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 32-year-old right-hander came off the injured list Wednesday after missing 85 games, having had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow in April.
鈥淲e just got a lot better,鈥� manager Dave Roberts said.
Fans were on their feet cheering when D铆az entered in the ninth to Timmy Trumpet’s 鈥淣arcos.鈥� He gave up two hits and one run while earning his fifth save of the season in a over the Seattle Mariners. His four-seam fastball touched 98 mph.
鈥淚 feel great,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think my pitching was really good, velo-wise, shape-wise, I was throwing strikes. So nothing to worry for me. Just keep grinding, keep getting better.”
The same song played in the post-game clubhouse, and D铆az loved hearing it again, especially on his first bobblehead night as a Dodger. The team signed him to a $69 million, three-year deal last offseason.
鈥淢y family was really happy,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey told me to send some bobbleheads back to Puerto Rico.鈥�
D铆az came back against the Mariners, who chose him in the third round of the 2012 draft out of Puerto Rico. He made his big league debut in 2016.
had been serving as the temporary closer. He had 16 saves with a 2.65 ERA in D铆az鈥檚 absence. Scott gave up two hits and a run on 14 pitches in the eighth before D铆az took over.
鈥淚 was trying to calm my emotions,鈥� he said. “As soon as I got to the mound, it was, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go. Let鈥檚 make pitches. Let鈥檚 win the game.鈥� And that鈥檚 what I did.鈥�
D铆az is the latest player to come off the IL. Utility man returned Tuesday, while two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell could rejoin the team soon. He tossed four shutout innings, allowing one run, and struck out nine on 60 pitches in a minor league rehab start for Low-A Ontario on Wednesday night.
鈥淚鈥檝e been on the sidelines for a long time and couldn鈥檛 wait to be back,鈥� D铆az said. 鈥淚 want to help this team win.鈥�
He was 1-0 with four saves over seven appearances and six innings before being sidelined. Not what the Dodgers had expected when he came from the New York Mets.
鈥淭aking out those bone chips or whatever they were, they looked like shark teeth,鈥� Roberts said before the game. 鈥淚t was compromising his extension, the feel and all that stuff. He says he hasn鈥檛 felt this good in quite some time.鈥�
Roberts isn’t measuring D铆az by velocity.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking for more of the command,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t the end of the day, the hitters will tell how the stuff is.鈥�
D铆az made seven rehab appearances, allowing two runs with 11 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
鈥淭he adrenaline will be there,鈥� he said before the game. 鈥淚 pitched in seven minor league games, but every stadium, the fans weren鈥檛 like they are here. So I鈥檓 expecting to be a little more aggressive than I was in the minor leagues.鈥�
To make room on the roster, pitcher Charlie Barnes was designated for assignment.
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