Roki Sasaki stared down one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball on Friday night. With the game hanging in the balance, he showed why the Dodgers remain intrigued about his postseason potential. Pitching in relief for the second time in his Major League career, the 23-year-old right-hander faced Cal Raleigh, who earlier this month became only the seventh player in league history to reach the 60-home run mark in a single season.
With two outs in the seventh inning and a runner already on after Randy Arozarena drilled a double off the left-center wall, Sasaki turned to his signature splitter. On the third consecutive offering, Raleigh chased and missed, ending the threat as chants of “M-V-P” rang out from the Seattle crowd. Sasaki walked off the mound having escaped the inning untouched, preserving a narrow Dodgers lead they would ultimately hold in a 3-2 win over the Mariners.
Sasaki’s New Role in the Bullpen
The Dodgers clinched the National League West earlier this month, locking in the National League’s No. 3 postseason seed. With the pressure of a division race removed, manager Dave Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman have shifted focus to shaping a bullpen capable of carrying Los Angeles deep into October. That means relievers across the roster, including Sasaki, are now auditioning for postseason roles.
Acquired out of Japan last offseason with expectations of becoming a fixture in the starting rotation, Sasaki endured a challenging introduction to the Majors. Across eight starts earlier this year, he posted a 4.72 ERA and missed time with a shoulder injury that sidelined him for much of the summer. Like a Japanese pachinko or plinko casino game, the Dodgers were never sure what they’d get from him on any given outing. Since returning, the Dodgers have eased him into action as a reliever, a role that may highlight his strengths more effectively in October games.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes noted before Friday’s contest that Sasaki remains on track physically and continues to adjust to bullpen work. “He came out of it feeling great,” Gomes said. “I think it’s important for him to continue to understand the routine and experience pitching in different situations as a reliever.”
Velocity, Command, and Confidence
In his two outings out of the bullpen with Los Angeles, Sasaki has delivered two scoreless innings and struck out three hitters. On Friday, his fastball reached 100.1 mph and consistently sat at 98-99 mph. Even the double he allowed to Arozarena came on an elevated four-seamer clocked in triple digits. Despite the hit, Sasaki demonstrated sharp command overall, throwing 11 strikes in 12 pitches, with four swings and misses generated from his splitter and fastball mix.
Short as the sample size may be, the Dodgers have seen the type of arsenal that drew them to Sasaki in the first place. Miguel Rojas pointed to Sasaki’s demeanor as equally important to his raw ability. “More than the 100 mph fastball and the split, I think it’s the attitude,” Rojas said. “He’s not afraid of the situation. He wants that stage.”
The Dodgers don’t plan to use Sasaki in the final two games of the regular season, meaning his next outing could come in the postseason. Roberts confirmed that Sasaki and several other arms will be evaluated before finalizing the Wild Card roster.
Relief Depth Tested
Los Angeles has encountered obstacles in building pitching depth all season. Brock Stewart, once a candidate for middle relief innings, underwent season-ending shoulder surgery this week. That development makes it even more critical for Roberts and his staff to see production from pitchers such as Sasaki, Justin Wrobleski, and Will Klein.
In Friday’s bullpen game, right-hander Emmet Sheehan opened with one inning, allowing one unearned run while striking out three. The shortened outing was by design, as the Dodgers want Sheehan prepared for a multi-inning role in October. After him, Wrobleski, Klein, Anthony Banda, Sasaki, and Tanner Scott each worked scoreless outings. Veteran Blake Treinen allowed the only other Mariners run before Scott closed the door in the ninth.
Scott made his 23rd season save but walked a tightrope, putting three runners on before recording the final out. His ability to handle high-leverage spots has fluctuated this season; his ERA sits at 3.90 through 62 appearances, and his WHIP of 1.32 points to occasional control troubles. Still, Roberts emphasized that Scott has the chance to reset his narrative in the postseason. “It hasn’t been the year we envisioned,” Roberts said, “but he potentially has the opportunity to show his best when it matters most.”
Postseason Implications
The Dodgers enter the postseason with their rotation largely set but with questions lingering about their middle innings and setup roles. With Shohei Ohtani sidelined after September surgery and Walker Buehler continuing his return from Tommy John recovery, the bullpen figures to carry an even larger share of innings.
That makes Sasaki’s recent performances particularly noteworthy. Earlier in the season, opponents hit .278 against him in his eight starts, slugging .454, and he struggled to put hitters away late in counts. In relief, though, he has looked more aggressive in the strike zone, generating chase swings with his splitter and pairing it with a high-octane fastball when ahead.
The challenge for Roberts and the Dodgers is whether two innings in September, however sharp, provide enough evidence to trust Sasaki with postseason responsibilities. The 23-year-old’s workload this year stands at just 48 Major League innings, raising questions about durability when asked to pitch on short rest against playoff-caliber lineups.
Still, the Dodgers face limited alternatives. With Stewart unavailable, questions about Scott’s consistency, and Treinen easing back from previous shoulder setbacks, the Dodgers may need an arm with Sasaki’s upside. If health and command hold, his performance could shift bullpen dynamics for Los Angeles in October.
As the club prepares for the Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday, the decision on Sasaki’s role remains unsettled. Roberts summed it up after Friday’s win. “We’ve got some tough decisions to make,” he said. And for Sasaki, those decisions may come down to whether his late-season flashes as a reliever convince the Dodgers that the time is right to test his potential on playoff ground.
