Dodgers Edwin Diaz to go on IL with ‘loose bodies’ in his right elbow

DENVER — Turns out, new Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz did have an injury.

It just wasn’t to his knee.

The team announced Monday that its $69 million offseason signing had been placed on the injured list with loose bodies in his right elbow, and will undergo surgery on Wednesday to address the issue.

He is expected to return during the second half of the season.

Left-handed Jake Eder was called up from the minor leagues as a replacement.

The news comes a day after Díaz struggled in his return to the mound — following a nine-day layoff amid concerns over his early-season velocity.

He faced four batters in Sunday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies and didn’t retire any of them, allowing three runs.

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Most concerning: His fastball velocity remained down, averaging just over 95 mph and bottoming out with a 92.8 mph heater — one of the 10 slowest of his career.

Now, at least, the team has an explanation for the decline in Díaz’s stuff, after the 32-year-old had previously insisted he felt fine physically (outside of some discomfort in his surgically-repaired knee following a blown save on April 10).

But losing their new closer for any prolonged stretch will represent a blow to the bullpen, nonetheless, forcing the team to find a new option (or, more likely, multiple options) for the ninth inning of games.