The Dodgers have acquired former All-Star closer Alexis Diaz from the Cincinnati Reds, the team announced Thursday.
In exchange, the Dodgers are sending minor-league reliever Mike Villani, their 13th-round pick last summer, to the Reds.
Diaz, the younger brother of New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz, first made a name for himself in 2022 and 2023, collecting 47 saves while posting a 2.47 ERA and striking out 169 batters in 131 innings. The right-hander was a National League All-Star in 2023, going 9-6 with a 3.07 ERA and 37 saves in a career-high 71 games. He was less effective in 2024, with his ERA climbing to 3.99.
Diaz, 28, struggled to begin this season while dealing with a hamstring injury, allowing eight runs, eight hits, four home runs and five walks in his first six innings with just three strikeouts (three of the homers coming during a disastrous outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 30). His average fastball velocity dropped for the fourth straight year, now down to 93 mph.
After being optioned to Triple-A on May 1, Diaz hasn’t shown much improvement. In 14 appearances with Louisville, Diaz has a 4.61 ERA with 12 walks in 13⅔ innings.
The Dodgers, who reportedly plan to initially send Diaz to their spring training facility in Glendale, Arizona, clearly hope that he can become a reclamation project who could eventually aid their injury-plagued bullpen. The Dodgers currently have five high-leverage relievers on the injured list – Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred Phillips (who was initially expected to only miss 15 days with a forearm injury) to the 60-day IL.
Hard-throwing Edgardo Henriquez and Michael Grove, who has appeared in 64 games over the last three years, are also nursing injuries.
Villani, 22, was the Dodgers’ 13th-round pick out of Long Beach State in 2024.
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