The Los Angeles Dodgers are on track to welcome back key players Edwin Díaz and Kiké Hernández from injury next week, providing a significant internal boost as the club approaches Major League Baseball's Aug. 3 trade deadline. Closer Edwin Díaz is expected to be activated Tuesday when the team returns home from its East Coast road trip. Díaz, a major offseason acquisition, has been sidelined since April after undergoing surgery to address loose bodies in his elbow. He is scheduled to complete his minor-league rehabilitation assignments with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday and Sunday, after which he should be ready to rejoin the team. "We feel very confident right now if he continues to trend the way he has... we feel like he’d be in a good spot," manager Dave Roberts said of Díaz. Earlier this season, Díaz had an ERA over 10.00 while dealing with his elbow injury.
Utilityman Kiké Hernández is also nearing the end of his recovery from an oblique strain that forced him out of games in May, just two appearances into his return from offseason elbow surgery. Hernández began his own rehabilitation stint in Oklahoma City this week and is also slated to return during the upcoming homestand. While it remains uncertain if he will be activated as soon as Díaz, Roberts indicated he is in a "good spot" and that Tuesday could "probably make sense."
The returns of Díaz and Hernández offer a mid-season reinforcement for the Dodgers. Without Díaz, the team has utilized a closer-by-committee approach, with Tanner Scott most frequently receiving save opportunities. Hernández's absence has been felt in his absence of defensive versatility and veteran presence at the plate, with Alex Freeland filling that role off the bench. If both players perform as anticipated, the Dodgers may find themselves with fewer needs in the bullpen and lineup heading into the trade deadline. However, the team's rotation remains a point of focus, with ongoing uncertainties regarding the return timelines for Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow, all of whom are currently dealing with injuries or rehabbing.