The Los Angeles Dodgers lost Roki Sasaki to a shoulder injury in May. The rookie starter was one of more than a dozen Los Angeles pitchers to land on the IL over the first half of the season. Yet while many of the Dodgers’ hurlers had since rejoined the team, Sasaki remained out. That is, until Wednesday.
Sasaki had been sidelined for over four months, missing 119 games of his MLB debut. But the 23-year-old righty made his return to the mound for the Dodgers in Wednesday’s matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks. And the appearance garnered even more attention as Sasaki pitched out of the bullpen for the first time.
After logging eight starts for the Dodgers over the first three months of the season, Sasaki made his first relief appearance. And Dave Roberts was encouraged by the outing. “He looked like a different person,” a thrilled Roberts said of Sasaki’s performance, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
Is Roki Sasaki the answer to Dodgers’ bullpen woes?
While Sasaki was undergoing an extensive rehab process, Los Angeles' rotation returned to health. The Dodgers’ starting pitching has become a strength late in the season. The bullpen, on the other hand, has been… less effective.
Tanner Scott blew his 10th save of the season Tuesday, earning fans’ wrath. And setup man Blake Treinen has been nearly as shaky.
With more than enough starters for a postseason rotation but a concerning lack of reliable relievers, Roberts gave Sasaki a bullpen trial run during his rehab. Apparently the young hurler took to the role. And now he’s made his Dodgers return as a relief pitcher.
Sasaki took over for Blake Snell in the seventh and worked a strong inning. He didn’t allow a base runner and recorded two strikeouts. And he was throwing gas. Sasaki hit 99 mph on six of his 13 pitches.
Roki Sasaki pitched out of the bullpen for the @Dodgers in his first appearance since May 9th
He struck out a pair of batters in a 1-2-3 inning 👀 pic.twitter.com/U7gRD7TlwD
— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2025
The Dodgers' bullpen will be interesting to watch this postseason. Given the group's struggles, changes are likely coming. Clayton Kershaw also worked as a reliever on Wednesday and he could be in the postseason bullpen mix as well.
Some have even suggested that Sasaki will take over the closer role. That seems a long shot given his inexperience. But with Scott’s struggles, anything is possible.
The Dodgers are trying to grind out their 12th division title in the last 13 seasons. Los Angeles has a 2.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres with four games remaining.
