Dave Roberts can't hide Dodgers' issues with Shohei Ohtani, Edwin Diaz updates

The Los Angeles Dodgers may be back to their winning ways, but it's impossible for fans to ignore the fact that they've been playing sub-.500 teams since the beginning of September and only have one series against a winning team left on their schedule.

The rotation has been hit with another injury, the bullpen is still in bad shape, Shohei Ohtani is still injured and, maybe worst of all, Edwin Díaz is coming back.

Dave Roberts said ahead of the Dodgers' finale against the Cincinnati Reds that Díaz will be activated on Friday, but with the caveat that he'll only pitch in low leverage. Of Ohtani: "He's feeling normal...ish" but continues to progress. Neither are ringing endorsements.

Dodgers fans have been forced to wonder if any lead would be too big for Díaz to blow. He bounced back from a disastrous rehab appearance (⅔ innings, five earned runs) with a much more promising one (one scoreless), but the Díaz conundrum is one they're going to have to go back to the drawing board with in the offseason.

Ohtani is eligible to come off the IL next Wednesday and the Dodgers will want to give him a ramp-up before the postseason, but "normal...ish" is not an indication that they should.

Edwin Díaz set to return to Dodgers on Friday; Shohei Ohtani feeling "normal...ish"

The Dodgers are still trying to lock up a first-round bye over the Atlanta Braves, who are only behind by 3.5 games, so they still can't just rest on their laurels after clinching the NL West. Using Díaz in any of the games ahead, even if it's a 10-plus run blowout, doesn't seem wise.

But they also can't just ignore their $69 million closer entirely. What we might see from the Dodgers is a soft ghosting — maybe Díaz will only get the ball in a favorable matchup to end an inning. Under no circumstances should he be allowed on LA's postseason roster.

When it comes to Ohtani, the situation gets even more sticky. He'll presumably take back his leadoff spot in the Dodgers' lineup when he returns, but if he looks anything like he did in his last game before going onto the IL, postseason opponents will be more than happy to take the easy out to start a game.

Don't let the Dodgers' postseason berth and clinching the NL West fool you: they're in some trouble. Their 2024 and 2025 postseason rosters all had their own weaknesses, but this year's might be the most jeopardized we've seen yet.

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