Dodgers acquire former All-Star closer Alexis Díaz | College News

Two years in the past, Alexis Díaz was an All-Star closer with the Cincinnati Reds.

Now, the 28-year-old right-hander is set to turn out to be a Dodgers reclamation project.

Amid a wave of early-season accidents to their bullpen and rotation, the Dodgers agreed to acquire Díaz from the Reds on Thursday, the workforce introduced.

Díaz, who was demoted to triple-A earlier this month by the Reds, gained’t be becoming a member of the Dodgers’ big-league roster straight away. He will as an alternative report to Arizona to work with the Dodgers’ pitching group there.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred injured reliever Evan Phillips (who was initially anticipated to only miss 15 days with a forearm damage) to the 60-day IL.

Once a rising aid star who had a 1.84 ERA as a rookie in 2022, and 37 saves and a 3.07 earned-run average as an All-Star choice in 2023, Díaz has light over the previous two seasons.

In 2024, he was 28 of 32 in save alternatives, but posted a 3.99 ERA with 31 walks in 56 1/3 innings.

This season, he misplaced the closer’s job while battling a hamstring damage that sidelined him for the beginning of the season, then was optioned to triple-A after giving up eight runs, eight hits, 4 homers and 5 walks in his first six appearances. Five of the runs, and three of the homers, got here in a single outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 30, the day before he was despatched down.

Díaz, the brother of New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz, hasn’t skilled a lot better success in the minors, holding a 4.61 ERA with 12 walks in 13 2/3 innings with the Reds’ Louisville affiliate.

Still, just two years eliminated from the early heights of his MLB profession, the Dodgers have been keen to take a flier on the once-promising expertise, only giving up minor-league pitcher Mike Villani (a Thirteenth-round decide in final 12 months’s draft) in return.