NEW YORK — The Dodgers will get closer Edwin Díaz back from injury this week, with the $69 million offseason signing set to be activated Wednesday.

But in a 8-3 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday, their bullpen encountered problems well before the ninth.

In both the sixth and seventh innings, relievers Evan Phillips and Will Klein allowed three-run home runs to a scuffling Mets offense, turning what had been an early Dodgers’ lead into a one-sided rout.

The result underscored one growing question the Dodgers could be facing ahead of MLB’s Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Even with Díaz set to return — after having a procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow in April — the rest of the bullpen remains an area that might benefit from a potential upgrade, even after manager Dave Roberts insisted pregame that his “trust tree” of relievers is “as big … as we’ve had.”

Lately, the team’s right-handed options, specifically, haven’t looked as sharp as earlier in the year.

And on Sunday, it was two of them who suffered the afternoon’s biggest stumbles, in a defeat that denied the Dodgers the chance for a series sweep at Citi Field.

After lefty Jack Dreyer walked two batters in the sixth, Phillips entered the game and promptly gave up the decisive blow: A three-run homer to Tyrone Taylor that flipped a 3-1 Dodgers lead into a 4-3 deficit.

An inning later, Klein fared even worse against the top of the Mets lineup. A leadoff walk, infield single and passed ball led to one run. Then, after another walk with two outs in the inning, pinch-hitter Marcus Semien went deep for a back-breaking three-run shot.

The implosion wasted a five-inning, one-run start from Emmet Sheehan (who wasn’t very efficient but managed to limit damage).

It also raised at least one more question mark for the front office to ponder entering deadline week.

What it means

While the Dodgers’ bullpen has been a strength for most of the season, entering Sunday with the eighth-best ERA in the majors at 3.79, their loss to the Mets was a reminder that it’s not an infallible group either — especially from the right side.

Phillips has looked rusty in his return from Tommy John surgery (more on him in a minute). Klein has not been nearly as sharp as he was earlier in the season, having allowed runs in four straight outings to raise his ERA to 6.00 since June 4. Even Edgardo Henriquez, the Dodgers’ most consistent right-hander this year, has begun battling command problems again over the last month.

The team’s only other active right-hander at the moment is Brock Stewart — a veteran who, “when he’s upright, is pretty good,” Roberts said Sunday, but has also battled a lengthy history of injuries.

The Dodgers are expecting right-handed reinforcements beyond Díaz over the rest of the season. Ben Casparius started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City this week. Blake Treinen is also progressing in his recovery from elbow inflammation.

Still, there are enough uncertainties to make the unit a possible area of need at the deadline. 

Who’s hot

At the start of this season, Freddie Freeman set a .300 batting average as one of his primary goals for 2026.

After going 2-for-4 on Sunday, he has finally reached that mark for the first time this year.

Freeman helped the Dodgers build their early, hitting an RBI double in the second inning that helped key a two-run rally. He followed that up with a single in the eighth, giving him a fourth-consecutive game with multiple hits.

That was enough to push Freeman’s average to .301 by the end of the day. That’s nearly a 30-point improvement from a month ago, with the former MVP having hit .373 since June 21.

Who’s not

The Dodgers, Roberts said recently, knew Phillips’ return from Tommy John would not be seamless.

But the results to this point have been even more discouraging than feared, despite the right-hander’s raw stuff actually playing up.

Compared to his injury-shortened 2025 campaign, when his fastball averaged only 95.4 mph, Phillips’ velocity has been improved in his seven outings back from surgery this year, averaging almost 97 mph while getting increased swing-and-miss.

However, his command has looked rusty, and mistakes have been punished.

Granted, the home run he allowed on Sunday wasn’t exactly a bad pitch: a 96 mph sinker in a 1-1 count down on the inside corner.

But Taylor was nonetheless on it, hooking his go-ahead blast inside the foul pole to help the Mets avoid a sweep.

Up next

The Dodgers are off on Monday before beginning a six-game homestand on Tuesday, when they will host the Seattle Mariners for a three-game set.