Can Alexis Díaz help the Dodgers’ injury-plagued pitching staff? He’s in Arizona for fine-tuning

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former All-Star pitcher Alexis Díaz has reported to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ facility in Arizona for some fine-tuning before joining the team.

The 28-year-old right-hander was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds for minor league pitcher Mike Villani on Thursday.

The Dodgers’ minor league staff will observe Díaz’s delivery and mechanics to “get some things cleaned up and then he’ll join us,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday.

He had no specific timetable on when Díaz would be with the team.

“That’s really contingent on kind of how soon he takes to some of the things that we see and kind of how that goes,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers are in immediate need of pitching help, given the rash of injuries to the staff. Reliever Evan Phillips will have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday and be out the rest of the season.

Díaz was an All-Star in 2023, going 9-6 with a 3.07 ERA and 37 saves in a career-high 71 games. He has 75 saves in 86 chances with a 3.21 ERA in 196 games over four seasons.

“The main thing is we got to get him back to being the player that we’ve seen in the past and he’s just not there right now,” Roberts said. “It was a good get. We’re excited about getting this player and potentially getting him kind of dialed in and hopefully expect him to help us.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB