The Los Angeles Dodgers made a blockbuster move in the offseason and signed Japanese pitching phenom Rōki Sasaki. Sasaki has not been dominant in his young Major League Baseball career, but he can still make an impact in October.
Sasaki had a 4.72 ERA through eight big league starts for the Dodgers. The Dodgers noticed that his velocity was down from his peak in Japan and ultimately placed him on the injured list with a shoulder injury after Sasaki reported some discomfort. Sasaki recently started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, and the Dodgers had him pitch out of the bullpen on Thursday.
It was Sasaki’s first official outing pitching in relief. He struck out two of the four batters he faced and did not allow a run. His fastball velocity was sitting at 99 mph and even touched triple digits per the Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris.
Sasaki was signed to be a starter, but his only path to pitching in October for the Dodgers looks to be out of the bullpen. Considering the Dodgers will likely turn to a three-man rotation for the National League Wild Card Series and the National League Division Series, if they advance, Sasaki will not have a spot in the rotation.
Even legendary pitcher Clayton Kershaw is not likely to serve as a starter this October. The Dodgers could go with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in their three-man rotation. When they need a fourth starter, Shohei Ohtani would likely get the call.
Sasaki will have to get comfortable as a reliever if he wants to pitch this postseason, which is why the Dodgers made the move to have him come out of the bullpen.
According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Dave Roberts noted that Sasaki will make another relief outing on Sunday before the team decides what to do next. Roberts also noted that a week of big league relief outings could be enough for Sasaki to make the postseason roster.
In Japan, Sasaki had a 2.10 ERA in 64 Games. He dominated, but has not done so right away in Los Angeles. He could still turn into a superstar in Major League Baseball, but right now the Dodgers may need him to thrive as a reliever.
Photo: Roki Sasaki throws a pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2025 Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome (AP Photo)
