Edwin Díaz back on injured list with neck inflammation

The Dodgers on Tuesday placed closer Edwin Díaz back on the injured list with neck inflammation after a disastrous three weeks back on the active roster. He’s headed back to Los Angeles, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Tuesday at Coors Field.

Per Jack Harris at the California Post, the Dodgers want to rule out any issues in Díaza’s lat/trap area in his Wednesday doctor visit.

Emmet Sheehan was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Díaz’s roster spot.

Díaz missed three months after surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow, and was activated on July 29. He allowed runs in six of his nine appearances since returning, giving up 11 runs on 16 hits, five walks, and two hit batters in only 7 2/3 innings, with nine strikeouts, and has blown three saves in the Dodgers’ last 11 games.

After two shaky outings at home against the Milwaukee Brewers last Thursday and Friday, Díaz was unavailable the rest of the weekend while working on mechanics.

“The strength department and the pitching side of things, he’s kind of detected some things I think we could clean up, so that’s encouraging,” Roberts said on Saturday. “We started that process today. Hopefully with a couple days off to kind of work through that, we’ll see an even better version going forward.”

Díaz’s first appearance after the tweaks suggested otherwise. Entering with an 11-2 lead in the ninth inning on Monday, the lowest leverage one might find for such an appearance, Díaz allowed a double and three singles, and hit a batter, allowing three more runs to the Rockies.

The double Díaz allowed, to Zac Veen, was on a 93-mph four-seam fastball, the third-slowest fastball thrown this season by Díaz, who has averaged 96.3 mph on the pitch this season. That was the penultimate pitch of the game.

On the season, Díaz allowed 18 runs over 13 2/3 innings in his 16 appearances, with 19 strikeouts and 10 walks. If Díaz doesn’t pitch in another game this season, his 11.85 ERA would be the third-worst in Dodgers history by a pitcher with at least 10 appearances that season, behind only a 41-year-old Orel Hershiser in 2000 and Scott Elbert in 2008. Díaz’s 2.561 WHIP would be the worst in a season by any Dodgers pitcher with at least 10 games.