Díaz lost his job as Cincinnati’s closer last month, and he was demoted to Triple-A Louisville nearly a month ago despite making $4.5 million this season.
The 28-year-old Díaz is the brother of Mets closer Edwin Díaz.
Villani, a Long Beach State product, was the Dodgers’ 13th-round pick in last year’s amateur draft.
Phillips went on the injured list May 7 with elbow discomfort, and his recovery does not appear to be going well. Manager Dave Roberts said earlier this week that Phillips’ inability to begin a throwing program was “a little concerning.”
Phillips is among of 14 Dodgers pitchers on the injured lis, a group making more than $100 million combined this season. The injured arms include starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki, and the relievers include Phillips, Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol.
Phillips was a key component of the eventual World Series champions’ bullpen last year, and he earned 42 saves over the past two seasons.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB