The Dodgers walk it off, Ohtani's two-way timeline is getting complicated, and the front office made another quiet move that's louder than it looks. This is Dodgers Daily Fancast and I am ALIVE after that Tucker walk-off — somebody wake up the Marlins and tell them they're in the wrong sport. We've got Ohtani's pitching calendar, Diaz's recovery update, the Fitzgerald acquisition broken down, and that walk-off — all coming up. The two-way math on Shohei is where I want to start — because if they get this wrong, no amount of walk-offs covers it. First up, here's Bill Plunkett, bplunkett at scng dot com, from the Orange County Register:
LOS ANGELES — The calculus has gotten much more complicated for the Dodgers in the third year of the Shohei Ohtani era. For the first time since 2023 with the Angels, Ohtani has entered a season fully healthy as a pitcher with a self-proclaimed goal of taking on a full starting pitcher’s load (and maybe, just maybe, becoming the first Japanese-born pitcher to win a Cy Young Award).
Bill Plunkett at the OC Register has the details on how the Dodgers are managing Ohtani's two-way load this year — and the short version is, it's a genuine puzzle with no clean answer. A Cy Young AND an MVP candidate in the same uniform? I need that to happen. I need it like oxygen. Dave Roberts basically admitted it's not an exact science — some starts Ohtani won't DH, which is the smart play if it keeps him on the mound through October. The 2023 elbow is the ghost in the room here. That's the thing that keeps me up at night. We've seen this movie before and it ended with him on a table getting surgery. I'm cautiously optimistic and terrified simultaneously. Now, Steve Webb has the update on Díaz:
Dodgers Closer Edwin Díaz underwent elbow surgery last Wednesday, removing five loose bodies from his right elbow. The surgery addressed the source of the tightness he felt during a game in Colorado. The goal is to build up and return to action after the All-Star break.
Edwin Díaz out of elbow surgery, five loose bodies removed — and apparently he's known about those loose bodies since 2012. That's a long time to be carrying around extra hardware. Target return is after the All-Star break. Of course it's the elbow. Of course it is. The man is our closer and we're penciling him in for July at the earliest — this is exactly the kind of thing that used to spiral into a complete disaster before 2020. Devin, he had loose bodies cleaned out — that's not Tommy John, it's not a tear. The velocity issues could actually get better after this. Credit to Steve Webb for getting the post-surgery details. I hear you. I just don't love 'hopefully back after the break' as a closer situation in a pennant race. But fine — if the elbow actually feels cleaner, maybe the Díaz we get back is scarier than the one we lost. And here's Dodgers Tailgate on the Tyler Fitzgerald pickup:
The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired infielder Tyler Fitzgerald from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. The acquisition comes as Landon Knack is moved to the 60-day injured list to clear the 40-man roster spot. Fitzgerald will report to Triple-A Oklahoma City and will not immediately appear in a Dodgers uniform.
Dodgers pick up Tyler Fitzgerald from Toronto for cash — he's heading to Triple-A OKC, not the big league roster. Credit to Dodgers Tailgate for breaking down the why: LA thinks his BABIP collapse was a market overreaction, not a real decline. So they grabbed a guy the Giants cut loose, the Blue Jays barely kept, and they're paying cash. Classic Dodgers — someone else's trash, their treasure. With Snell, Stone, and Graterol all hitting the IL this year, roster depth isn't a luxury right now. Fitzgerald slots in behind Kiké and Edman as another multi-position option. It's unsexy but it's smart. This was also making the rounds over on X:
SF Giants may be in for a nightmare as Dodgers scoop up former utility bat
Sep 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald (49) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The SF Giants moved on from utility player Tyler Fitzgerald about a month ago as they designated him for assignment. Shortly thereafter,…
The Giants DFA'd him about a month ago. Now he's in the Dodgers system. That's a rough look for San Francisco. Giants fans are going to lose their minds when this guy goes on a hot streak in September. I'm already looking forward to it. One more on X, from the Toronto side:
Blue Jays trade infielder to the Dodgers
Toronto Baseball Insider has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Blue Jays or MLB
Blue Jays Insider| MLB team| Toronto Blue Jays
# Blue Jays trade infielder to the Dodgers
Apr 28, 2026 (8:23 PM)
Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
## Tyler Fitzgerald's Blue Jays run ended almost as quickly as it started, with Toronto flipping the infielder to the Dodgers not long after designating him for assignment.
That makes this less a baseball-performance…
Toronto barely held onto him and then flipped him for cash. That's two organizations that slept on this guy — the Dodgers are the ones paying attention. Low cost, upside in the system, fills a real need. This is exactly the kind of quiet move this front office makes well. Back to Steve Webb, because this is the fun part:
CHAVEZ RAVINE –– Welcome to LA, Kyle Tucker! After a pretty poor first month in Dodger blue, Tucker came through in the biggest way on Monday night. With the Dodgers trailing by one and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Tucker ripped a two-out single into center field to score the winning runs in a thrilling come-from-behind 5-4 win over Miami.
Kyle Tucker, walk-off single, ninth inning — Dodgers take down Miami five to four. Steve Webb had the write-up, and Tucker's two-run hit was the whole ballgame. After a rough April, THAT is what I needed. Tucker looked lost for a month and then just cashes in a walk-off like it's nothing. Welcome to LA, for real this time. Vesia and Tanner Scott covering four innings out of the pen is the less glamorous part of this story, but that's what held the door open for Tucker to do his thing. Over on r/Dodgers, this one had 698 upvotes:
FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT TO THE BELLY OF PANDA EXPRESS
From the jaws of defeat to the belly of Panda Express — that is the Dodger Stadium experience in one sentence and I will not hear otherwise. Meanwhile, over on r/baseball, 1,036 upvotes:
Dodgers fans finally get something to go their way.
One win in late April and r/baseball is handing out participation trophies. This fanbase has lived through Frank McCourt — they've earned a little joy without the pity. The condescension is unreal. Every other fanbase just lurks hoping we lose and then acts magnanimous when we don't. And one more from r/baseball, sitting at 298 upvotes:
God, their lineup is a gauntlet. The fuck are you supposed to do with all those assholes? Well...besides not walk the bases loaded.
The answer to 'what do you do with that lineup' is apparently walk the bases loaded and hand Kyle Tucker a walk-off. Bold strategy. That commenter's not wrong — when the depth is that deep, there's no soft spot to attack. That's by design, and it's why I'm not panicking about April. If you want to dig a little deeper, we’ve got links to every story from today’s show in the notes. Tap through to whatever caught your ear.
That’s Dodgers Daily Fancast for this Wednesday. This is a Lantern Podcast.