Closer Edwin Díaz is having a rough first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and says he's doing everything he can to figure things out while his team continues to have faith in him.
"They keep trusting me. If it was in another position, maybe they put another guy or give me a break. But they keep trusting me and give me the ball," Díaz said, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.
The 32-year-old right-hander owns a 10.66 ERA and 6.00 FIP in 15 appearances this season. He missed several months of action earlier this year while recovering from surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow.
However, Díaz hasn't been effective since returning to the Dodgers, allowing earned runs in five of his eight outings. He recorded a save in his last appearance on Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers but hit a batter and walked two more to load the bases before completing the game.
Díaz, who signed a three-year, $69-million deal in December, told Ardaya that he doesn't believe he's executing his pitches as well as he used to and that he's been working with the Dodgers on mechanical tweaks to fix his issues.
"(The Dodgers) give me everything because they are giving me the chance to keep being successful in my position," Díaz said. "So every time they give me the ball, I've just got to do my job. … I’ve been having a good game, (then a) bad game, good game, bad game. I have to find a way to keep pitching good."
