Dave Roberts announced on August 17, 2026 that Edwin Diaz is going on the injured list with neck inflammation and will be evaluated by Dr. Watkins in Los Angeles.
Roberts told reporters, "He has neck inflammation. Dr. Watkins back home is going to check him out tomorrow morning." The manager said the plan is for Dr. Watkins to examine Diaz and obtain imaging before determining next steps, adding, "Get Dr. Watkins to put some eyes on it, get some imaging, and see where we go." Roberts said he does not believe the injury will sideline Diaz for the rest of the season, stating, "I don't see a situation where he'd be out for the year."
Roberts noted that the neck issue may explain recent performance concerns, suggesting, "There could be a reason why the stuff is not playing like it has in the past." He also pointed to velocity variance in Diaz's most recent outing, saying the pitcher's fastball dipped to 93 mph late in the appearance but also touched 98 mph earlier, remarking, "There were some 98s too. You know, it's just the velocity variance." According to Roberts, the team had not identified a specific mechanical issue with Diaz beyond his performance until a trainer relayed that Diaz was experiencing neck discomfort following the outing, with Roberts noting, "There was something in his neck that was bothering him." Roberts added that the issue may have been present for about a week before becoming apparent, saying, "We don't know if it's something that has been there the last week or whatever, but it kind of showed up last night."
With Diaz out, Tanner has slid into the closer and save-situation role, Roberts confirmed. Roberts said he is not yet ready to designate EMTT as the team's high-leverage right-handed reliever, describing the bullpen move as "a transition adjustment for him." Roberts noted that EMTT has had only two outings at Triple A. Separately, Roberts confirmed that pitcher Roki Sasaki is starting the following day after his arrival in Denver was delayed to reduce the number of nights spent at altitude; Roberts also mentioned that Sasaki typically throws around 35 pitches in his bullpen sessions.
Roberts also addressed how he is managing Kyle Tucker through a slump, saying of their relationship, "We're going to go through this together." He described bringing Tucker into his office to talk about life beyond baseball, aiming to help him avoid feeling isolated, recalling, "You just had him in your office and just talking about life."
Diaz is set to be examined by Dr. Watkins in Los Angeles, with imaging expected to guide the next steps in his recovery timeline.