The Los Angeles Dodgers entered Spring Training with a majority of their roster figured out but still had some minor camp competitions to determine the final roster spots.
Reliever Matt Sauer is among the non-roster invitees at Camelback Ranch fighting for a spot on the Dodgers’ 26-man roster for Opening Day. A former second-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2017, Sauer made his Major League debut last season with the Kansas City Royals after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft.
He struggled with the Royals and was soon returned to the Yankees, as required under Rule 5 Draft guidelines. Sauer elected to become a free agent after last season and signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers.
The results haven’t been the greatest for Sauer this spring, but the Dodgers have seen enough during his time at Camelback Ranch to bring him to Tokyo, according to Sonja Chen of MLB.com:
When Roberts removed Matt Sauer in the ninth inning of Friday’s 6-4 win over the Mariners, he had a special message for the right-handed reliever: He’ll be on the Dodgers’ travel roster for the Tokyo Series.
Sauer’s ability to give the Dodgers length out of the bullpen is currently his greatest strength as three of his four outings during Cactus League play have been more than one inning.
Otherwise, he has been hit pretty hard this spring, with 10 hits surrendered in 7.2 innings and a 8.22 ERA. On the bright side, he did rack up eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings over his last two appearances.
Will Matt Sauer be on the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster?
It is still not clear whether or not he will be on the Opening Day roster, but it remains possible due to the number of Dodgers relievers battling injuries. Either way, the Dodgers are allowed to bring more than the 26 players on their Opening Day roster for their trip to Tokyo. Last season, the Dodgers brought 31 players with them to South Korea for the Seoul Series.
At the very least, Sauer provides another arm for the Dodgers’ split-squad exhibition games against the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers ahead of the Tokyo Series.
Once the bullpen gets healthier, Sauer is likely to serve as a depth piece rather than a key contributor.
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