The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Tanner Scott in the offseason, hoping to get a shutdown closer. The team also signed Japanese pitching phenom Rōki Sasaki, hoping he would be a staple in their rotation.
However, now in October, Sasaki has become a weapon for the Dodgers in the backend of the bullpen, while Scott was removed from the NLDS roster after undergoing a surgical procedure.
Los Angeles Dodgers Roki Sasaki, left, Shohei Ohtani, left center, H.S. Kim, right center and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, right, celebrate after the Dodgers clinched the National League West title against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a baseball game at Chase Field Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
Scott had a 4.74 ERA in the regular season, raising serious questions about the Dodgers’ bullpen going into the postseason. Blake Treinen had also struggled, so the Dodgers made a move not many saw coming. Sasaki was on the injured list for most of the year. He struggled as a starter early, and a decrease in velocity eventually led the Dodgers to put him on the injured list with a shoulder injury.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, right, receives a Los Angeles Dodgers cap from pitcher Roki Sasaki
During his rehab, Sasaki made some changes to his mechanics, specifically his back leg, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Roki Sasaki was lost. Velo down. Poor results. Then suddenly he was back, looking like a monster again. From a leap of faith to a deposition to a cue that helped Sasaki find 100 mph and close Dodgers playoff games, this is how it happened, free at ESPN: https://t.co/MJDJ8FxnZW
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 6, 2025
He lessened the extension of his back leg while pitching, mimicking more of what made him so dominant in Japan. The results came fast: velocity up, confidence restored.
There wasn’t room for him in the Dodgers’ star-studded postseason rotation, so the club made a bold move — shifting him to the bullpen.
Sasaki looked good in the bullpen during his rehab assignment, but the true test came in the big leagues. He made two relief outings, notching four strikeouts in two innings at the end of the regular season. That was enough for the Dodgers to take him into October.
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Roki Sasaki throws to the plate during the ninth inning in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card baseball playoff series against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Sasaki pitched in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series. He picked up saves in Games 1 and 2 of the National League Division Series, and manager Dave Roberts soon called him the team’s “primary” closer.
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When Scott went on the injured list before Game 4 of the NLDS, Sasaki’s role grew even larger. Not only is he the “primary” option, but he is now the only reliable leverage option. He answered the call with an elite outing in Game 4.
In a tense 1-1 game, Sasaki entered in the eighth and silenced the Phillies’ core — Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm — on just eight pitches. His night had just begun. With the game still tied going into the ninth inning, Sasaki took the mound again. He retired the side in 10 pitches. Still tied in the 10th, Roberts sent the 23-year-old out again. It took him 16 pitches, but once again, he put up a 0 and retired the side.
In the 11th, the Dodgers turned to Alex Vesia and eventually won the game, but what Sasaki did showed that the Dodgers have a weapon in the bullpen. According to Baseball Savant, he threw 19 splitters at an average of 88.1 mph, 3.2 mph faster than his yearly average.
Roki Sasaki Stats from Baseball Savant. Sasaki has been using his splitter masterfully and heavily
Paired with his four-seam fastball, averaging 99.5 mph, he had Phillies hitters perplexed. He even had All-Star teammate Tyler Glasnow in awe.
“It was incredible, for what he went through at the beginning of the year and then pitch some of the nastiest innings I’ve ever seen, it’s incredible, we’ll need him the rest of the postseason,” Glasnow said after the game.
Japan will open 2026 World Baseball Classic play in Tokyo, where the Dodgers’ trio of Roki Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto could reunite on the mound. After signing with Los Angeles in December 2024, Sasaki may be chasing both a World Series parade and another WBC title for Japan next March. For now, he remains a key piece in the Dodgers’ push to win back-to-back championships.
Photo: Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Roki Sasaki throws to a Philadelphia Phillies batter during the ninth inning in Game 4 of baseball’s National League Division Series Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
