Dodgers Bullpen Bolstered by Edwin Díaz, Veterans Aim to Rebound in 2026

PHOENIX — As the Los Angeles Dodgers start spring training in 2026, a key focus is solidifying a bullpen that, despite contributing to a championship run in 2025, showed vulnerabilities. After utilizing all four starting pitchers – Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto – along with less experienced arms like Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan during their playoff push, the Dodgers addressed a critical need by signing three-time All-Star Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million contract.^[1]

Díaz Anchors a Re-Shaped Bullpen

With Díaz firmly established as the closer – a role the Dodgers haven’t had definitively filled since Kenley Jansen’s departure in 2021 – manager Dave Roberts is focused on defining the roles of the remaining relievers. “Obviously, adding Díaz to the back end is huge for us and getting Alex Vesia [back] is going to be good, and also Blake [Treinen],” Roberts said. “Blake wasn’t right last year, clearly. He’s throwing the baseball really well. Having guys that you trust is everything for the pen. You’ve got to count on those veteran guys for sure.”^[1]

Veterans Seem to Bounce Back

Left-hander Tanner Scott, acquired before the 2025 season on a four-year, $72 million deal, struggled in his first year with the Dodgers, posting a 4.74 ERA across 61 appearances and 57.0 innings. A mid-July elbow injury further hampered his performance. However, Scott showed positive signs in his Cactus League debut on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, pitching a scoreless inning with a strikeout. Roberts believes shifting Scott to leverage situations outside of the closer’s role will benefit both the pitcher and the team. “I suppose being able to use Tanner in any inning of leverage, is going to be good for him,” Roberts said. “And it’s going to be good for us.”^[4]

Blake Treinen, a key contributor to the Dodgers’ recent World Series successes, also aims to rebound after a difficult 2025 season (1-5 with a 9.64 ERA in September). Treinen, who has been on all three of the Dodgers’ recent World Series teams, attributes his struggles to an unspecified issue. “You never know what the body throttles back,” Treinen said. “I had a UCL injury, so I don’t know if that’s part of the problem, but something was different. I mean, velocity was there, movements were there, execution wasn’t, and when pitches were in the zone, it was a harder-hit rate. So, that tells me something was different, how to handle hitters. So, just trying to go back and cleaning things up to where the ball does more of what it has done most of my career.”^[1]

Alex Vesia, who missed the 2025 World Series due to a personal tragedy, has pitched two scoreless innings in spring training.^[1]

Injuries and Future Outlook

Right-hander Brusdar Graterol remains sidelined as he recovers from right labrum surgery, and right-hander Evan Phillips is not expected back for several months following Tommy John surgery.^[1] Despite these absences, Roberts is optimistic about the bullpen’s potential. “I don’t think that there’s one way to manage a pen,” Roberts said. “But when you have a guy like Edwin Díaz as your closer, I do think it frees up other guys. … I think that’s freeing for me and allows for getting the matchups we need in the prior innings.”^[1]

The Dodgers’ 2026 success will depend on the health and performance of their key relievers, and the ability of manager Dave Roberts to effectively utilize the strengths of each pitcher.

1. Sporting News: Shohei Ohtani final stats
2. CBS Sports: Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani sets World Series record
3. MLB.com: Shohei Ohtani talks Dodgers World Series
4. ClutchPoints: Shohei Ohtani pulls off World Series feat