Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki is set to rejoin the team on Wednesday. He’s expected to be activated from the 60-day IL after missing more than four months with a shoulder impingement. Sasaki will work out of the bullpen, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Sonja Chen of MLB.com). Los Angeles already has an open 40-man roster spot after waiving Chuckie Robinson over the weekend, so they’ll only need to make an active roster move.
Sasaki hit the IL on May 9 with the shoulder issue. He made seven appearances on his rehab assignment, posting a 6.10 ERA across 20 2/3 innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Sasaki initially worked as a starter during his minor league stint but appeared in relief in his final two outings. He tossed a pair of scoreless, hitless innings as a reliever, notching three strikeouts.
It’s been a challenging season for Sasaki in his first taste of big-league action. The NPB import has scuffled to a 4.72 ERA across eight MLB starts. The underlying metrics are even worse, with Sasaki recording an unsightly 5.88 SIERA and a 6.38 xERA. Shaky control was the main culprit. Sasaki had nearly as many walks (22) as strikeouts (24) over 34 1/3 innings. His massive 14.3% walk rate is more than double his worst season with the Chiba Lotte Marines (7.1% in 2024). The shoulder injury could’ve affected Sasaki’s command, though the 13.7% BB% during his rehab assignment doesn’t suggest much improvement.
Sasaki will have five days to make his case for the postseason roster. Los Angeles could certainly use another viable option in the bullpen. The Dodgers rank 20th in bullpen ERA on the season, and they’ve slipped to 25th in September. Michael Kopech is back on the IL, this time with knee inflammation. Tanner Scott has a 7.27 ERA and a pair of blown saves since returning from an elbow injury. Blake Treinen melted down again on Sunday against San Francisco. The veteran has allowed three earned runs on three occasions in September alone after allowing multiple runs just three times in 2024. A few decent showings from Sasaki out of the bullpen could be enough to earn him a spot on the playoff squad.
With the Dodgers boasting a largely healthy stable of starters to close the season, a return to the rotation wasn’t an option for Sasaki. Blake Snell returned in early August after dealing with his own shoulder injury, joining mainstays Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. Los Angeles has gotten passable contributions from Clayton Kershaw in what will be his final season, plus a breakout year from Emmet Sheehan. With Shohei Ohtani back on the mound and regularly tossing five innings, there wasn’t any room for Sasaki. The Dodgers will likely pare down their six-man rotation in the postseason, leaving even fewer opportunities for Sasaki to function as a starter.
Kershaw’s departure will open one rotation spot in 2026, though Sasaki will have plenty of competition to fill the job. Kyle Hurt and River Ryan should return after both underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024. Gavin Stone could be back in the mix after shoulder surgery last October. Ben Casparius and Landon Knack are hanging around in the minors. And of course, the deep-pocketed Dodgers will likely be contenders for the top arms on the free agent market.
Releasing chuckie will create The Curse of Chuckie where the dodgers won’t win another World Series until 2067
It will be like the national league version of the curse of the bambino so the padres are going to have a dynasty soon
Roki Sasaki is coming back. Calm down a bit.
I feel like I’m going to upchuck.
Your ideas are intriguing to me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
Roberts actually brought Tanner Scott in again and he blew the save, again! He has 11 blown saves this year. Yates and Scott are arsonists not firemen.
If they allow Treinen, Yates and Scott to pitch in high leverage, the Dodgers won’t make it out of the Wild Card….
Yates shouldn’t make the postseason roster.
Scott can only be used in very specific low leverage situations. His stuff is ok but his mentality and body language is terrible. I would rather have Bazooka out there with minimal prep time.
Blake should get every opportunity to find his control. And if he can’t, only be used in low leverage. He is one of the main reasons we won it all last year. And his arm is paying the price this year. Fair trade-off for a ring if you ask me.
Yeah, he should pitch the guys who Friedman didn’t put on the roster.
Shut down Sasaki and Treinan and hope both will do well in 2026.
Emmet, Clayton and Dreyer will be key relief pitchers on 2025.
Yamamoto is an ace, Snell and Ohtani are aces when healthy, Glasnow is a four that can be an ace. Only Yamamoto can regularly go 100+ pitches in post-season though. Half to wonder if the Dodgers decide to piggy back Snell, Ohtani, Glasgow and Emmet if they make a second round.
Either Yates or Treinan should be left off postseason roster. Maybe Treinan on first round to get him rest and then Yates for however much longer the Dodgers last.
I have a high level of confidence that Dodgers will beat the Mets if that series occurs … but if Dodgers face Cubs or Snakes I put those odds closer to even. I have not seen Reds’ pitching for a week, so I can’t even put a guess on the 1970s rivalry series of Dodgers v. Reds.
If Sasaki has regained his WBC form he’ll be a good addition to the postseason bullpen.
He’s going to get an audition tomorrow.
Vesia, Dreyer and even Banda have passed the the test in September. Add Emmet and Clayton to that and Dodgers bullpen looks ok. Edgardo does not look as good but hard for me to see Sasaki passing Edgardo or Tanner. More interested to see if Stewart can help, Sasaki can give pen some rest though. Have to believe Dodgers want to stay ahead of San Diego either way. I think Sasaki will be a factor in 2026 if healthy. Wrobleski and Casperius were 2025 Dodgers heroes, but I think they would be overmatched against Phillies or Brewers in postseason.
Tanner looked ok for a few outings until he gave up the game again and blew another save.
His inconsistency makes him a liability. Because when he’s off he’s really off.
Yates and Scott are acting like AJ Preller Trojan horses
Yep. Just thinking that letting Scott go to LAD was AJ’s best FA move of the off-season!
Aside from the fact that Scott was really good, I wonder if LA signed him because they didn’t want any other contenders in NL to do so (Ohtani has struggled mightily facing Scott).
That was surely a side note but I think the need for a closer and his being so good was #1 priority. It just hasn’t played out well (so far). Like Gore, is it possible that he has been pitching thru an injury? Just where my mind goes when a pitcher just falls off the table with his results with no other explanation.
I don’t know about Gore. He’s had some arm issues but even when healthy his margin between dominant and pedestrian is pencil thin and seems to be fully dependent on having absolute control of his pitches. When he’s on, he’s unhittable, when he’s not, he can’t adjust. Much like Cease. But he’s never put it together for a full season like Cease has (2022, most of 2024).
Cubs were alleged runners up for Tanner. If so, thanks Friedman!
Bust
How so?
Yeah right he had “shoulder inflammation”.
The Boston Bruins are about to start their season. Whine over there.
It could be the UCLA Bruins?
What pitcher should they drop to open a spot for Sasaki? I would cut Blake Treinen. Life would be better if he never pitched again in a Dodger uniform.
I would guess a DFA for Yates. Treinen and Scott are under contract for next season. Those two might not make WC roster, though.
Treinen is in the first year of a two-year, $22M contract, backloaded to next season. So the chances of him being “cut” are zero. In signing Treinen, Yates, and Scott, Friedman assumed he’d made all the right bullpen moves. On paper, he was right — but on dirt and grass, where the game is actually played, he wasn’t. The problem could have been addressed in July but he decided that he already had the team he wanted. We are here because he refused to allow reality to alter his plan.
Agree. At most, Treinan will be put on a phantom injury list for a while to “work through” an injury. I don’t think his career is over anyway. I expect him to be helpful by April.
Makes no sense to cut Treinen. A reasonably short while ago he came off the IL. I believe he can be trusted more than the other two to get back on track. Yates appears terrified every time goes out there. Scott appears to expect to blow the game and he does.
Yates is easy. He has a one year contract and five games to go in the season. Bye!
Scott is the problem. He has two more guaranteed years, I believe. What team would want to assume that albatross? He should never, ever, ever be allowed to pitch past the 6th inning. Never!
please pitch this baby in the postseason
“Baby”? He’s a grown man, Kevin.
he got shelled and cried in the dugout. not a grown man
Lame toxic masculinity take
Muted
Grown men cry too, Kevin.
Sorry that hurts your feelings.
feelings are crushed. don’t know what I will do now. maybe I should “mute” you and I will feel better about myself. candyland comment section
Sasaki pitched a great inning in relief and will likely pitch again tonight, as they want to see how he responds to bullpen life.
So yes, if he continues to pitch like this? Please pitch him consistently in the postseason. Just win, baby!
Treinen, Scott, and Yates need to leave the room. I understand Roberts’ desire to let them find themselves for the bigger goal of winning in the post season, but it’s past the point where you can rely on them this year. Lesser names with better performance need to be considered.
He has no choice but to play them. This is the roster he was given.
does not say much for Bobby Miller.
Why should it say anything for Bobby Miller?
given that the pen is in shambles and Miller’s experience why not bring him up?
Bobby Miller had given up like 13 runs in his last 11.3 major league innings as of yesterday morning. Even I would rather use Tanner than Bobby. Bobby will likely get traded in the offseason.
This. But Miller currently has little trade value. They’d get a better return for Knack or even Ryan at this point. Either of them would have gotten back one of the four closers on the market in July.
You are making my point, Thank you.
I meant to type minor league innings
Being a MLB closer is stressful.
I never liked the Tanner signing.
I thought Treinan would be good in 2025, my error. For a couple weeks I thought Edgardo would become elite, but now I am past that.
If Will Smith is healthy, the Dodgers might still be my pick as most likely to win because Yamamoto has looked so good. But so has Freddy Peralta, Christopher Sanchez and Cade Horton. The postseason will be fun to watch this year.
Dodgers’ troubles are nothing compared to Houston, Detroit and Mets.
Much of the LA outcome will depend on which starter moves to the pen and how they use Ohtani and of course health. Will Blake Stewart be available and effective? Still wanting for high leverage pen pitchers.
What point? Seriously.
I would use Kike Hernandez before I would use Tanner in a pressure situation.
“Blake Stewart”? Brock Stewart, Blake Treinan or Blake Snell. Don’t make half-Blaked comments. LOL
Fox
Nah. You have a 50-50 chance with Tanner. That is still better than Hernandez, cool helmet notwithstanding.
Felt like Graterol and Treinen play(ed) well off of each other but it’s been exceedingly difficult to keep either healthy, much less both at the same time during their respective Dodger runs.
Treinan and the bullpen pitched so much last postseason they knew it would impact those arms this season. And we’re seeing the results of that world series push. Evan Phillips is out. Treinan was hurt and is still recovering. Bazooka isn’t up to speed yet, pun intended. And a few other postseason arms we leaned on last year aren’t where the team hoped they would be at this point.
It’s just the reality of the situation. They brought in what looked like proper reinforcements, and it didn’t work out.
With Emmett and Kershaw going to the bullpen, along with Sasaki looking good the other night, I feel better about the postseason pitching situation overall.
Doyers still have the best assemblage of arms in the entire league. The skipper managed it perfectly last postseason with few starters and a big bully. Now, he’s got a big starter pool and shrunken bully. Glasnow, Kersh, Sasaki, Sheehan roll to buttress/ augment Y2K, Snellzilla and Ohtani with Dreyer, Klein, Banda, Vesia, Treinen y uno mas to rock und roll, splish und splash.
Forgot JWrob, Knew I’d forget someone. My bad. He deserves to be on the postseason roster. Dude has been nails recently and definitely took his lumps last year.
Looks like it’s coming together. Wrob worked himself into and out of a jam last night.
Sasaki is looking good. He has a meaner look these last couple outings.
Blake is making big strides in getting his control under control.
Even freaking Scott got a save. I honestly thought he would blow the save or get walked off. I actually said “not this guy” out loud when they said he was coming in. He did look better, so I hope he keeps it together.
Whatever come to Jesus conversations have taken place since a few days ago when they jettisoned Yates (I mean when he got injured) seems to have worked to some extent. Because most of the bullpen issues were pitching not to fail. And I’m seeing some aggressiveness and assertive pitching from the relievers finally.
If this bullpen can save the day in the postseason, it will be mostly on account of the addition of Sasaki, Sheehan and Kershaw to the mix. I didn’t find Scott’s performance last night be encouraging at all. He pitched poorly and got away with it, and that is about the best we can say. Nobody but the other team wants to see him come into a close game.
I agree with your assessment of Scott. Trying my best to encourage myself into being ok with him pitching in leverage situations.
The biggest issue is we have a three game wildcard series coming up and we can’t afford to give him a chance to lose one of them for us.
I think Sheehan might become the playoff closer. He has the stuff and the attitude.
That would be a dangerous experiment. I’d expect him to be used as middle reliever who can cover more than one inning if necessary.
Whom do you trust more in a one inning, 8th or 9th scenario with a one-run lead? I’m going with Sheehan. And yes, also good with him picking up the pieces of a disastrous start from…say…the 2nd inning and bridging that gap to the 9th inning if necessary. Like I’ve said somewhere (else) but forgot exactly where, ride Sheehan for all he’s worth and he’s worth a lot. Versatile. Good pitch mix. Loves to throw that high heat.
Alex Vesia, or the underrated Jack Dreyer are my top choices. But as we’ve seen, the Dodgers are going to mix it up depending heavily on analytics and spreading the load.
Vesia has an important role as a higher leverage situational arm. And rarely is that role at the end of the game.
Dreyer definitely has the stuff and the makeup to close. They’ve had him close a couple games recently and it’s gone well overall.
We all know LAD has more money than roster spots but why, with Ohtani, Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, Sheehan, Sasaki and the rest listed (Gonsolin absent), would they be in the market for the best FA starters and then why, would a best FA starter want to be in the shadows of the others as opposed to being a team “Ace”.
I could see an aging guy wanting a chance for a ring – Merrill Kelly type, I’m saying – that has good stuff still but likely not have 30 starts at what he used to be signing for depth.
“why, would a best FA starter want to be in the shadows of the others as opposed to being a team “Ace”.”
Money
Chance to win
They get the money wherever they sign.
The Dodgers are not the only team with a “chance to win”.
Try again.
Those are reasons that they would sign with the Dodgers
“Try again”
Take your dumb attitude back to X
This site is the closest thing to social media that I have ever had.
Also, I asked why the Dodgers would sign a top FA – you didn’t attempt to answer that part.
Highly competitive SP won’t likely go where they will be overshadowed when given the same money and opportunity to pitch for a competitive team and be the star.
They have egos and want to be elevated.
Sorry.
“asked why the Dodgers would sign a top FA – you didn’t attempt to answer that part.”
Correct. I didn’t. I answered this part:
““why, would a best FA starter want to be in the shadows of the others as opposed to being a team “Ace”.”
“Highly competitive SP won’t likely go where they will be overshadowed when given the same money and opportunity to pitch for a competitive team and be the star.
They have egos and want to be elevated.”
Blake Snell, two time CY Young winner, signed with the Dodgers who had Glasnow, Yamamoto and Ohtani. Not to mention Kershaw.
As did Roki Sasaki. Many people, maybe even you, claimed he wouldn’t sign with LA because he wouldn’t want to be in Ohtani’s and Yamamoto’s shadow. They were wrong.
Greinke signed with LA when the Dodgers had a prime Clayton Kershaw.
Here’s proof that it happens at least sometimes. So, it can happen again.
I’ve already said why
You’re welcome
Players want to win. Players want to be in the postseason. Players want to be in a good clubhouse. Players want to work with a solid organization committed to winning and willing to allocate resources to make it happen.
Players talk to other players and find the Dodgers are ones of the few organizations that offer all of the above consistently.
For those top shelf players who care more about being the man than the above? It works out for them not to sign with the Dodgers, because they want to win the game inside their head. And that’s not what the Dodgers are looking for. And the Dodgers don’t need me first players at this point.
There are a few other organizations that are excellent it the above categories. But none of them make the playoffs every single year for the last decade plus.
Another – I get all of what you are saying and I’ll agree that when taking about Roki or even Ohtani or Snell circumstances, that surely factored in to their decision.
2026 is not each of those years – last year there was no CK, no Ohtani, questions of Gonsolin and May and so many others – in other words, there was a spot in the rotation for said FA to take.
2026 – Yam, Ohtani, Snell, Glasnow, Sasaki, Sheehan, and the others coming back from injury – it’s a full rotation and then some.
Michael King for example or Dylan Cease – what spot in the rotation do we get? This has to be their question.
Of course, a teal can only carry so many SPs.
You think a FA elite SP is going to say, I’m good with trying to “win a spot” or “just stash me in the BP until an injury.
I don’t disagree with your reasoning but the applicability of it to 2026 doesn’t fit is all I’m saying.
I would agree. Next year they will have an excellent starting pitching staff.
It looked great coming into this year as well, but Snell came over for all of the above reasons. But I think they have such a strong base of starters going into next year they will likely work on developing young arms that can fill in, like those they used towards the end of last year and after so many starters went down in the first half this year.
It makes more sense to build up the bullpen with those types of arms in the off-season. Unless someone drops into their laps like Dylan Cease did with Arizona, I can’t see them signing a super high end starter this off-season.
Ltc
“the applicability of it to 2026 doesn’t fit is all I’m saying.”
No. It’s not. You said this
“Highly competitive SP won’t likely go where they will be overshadowed when given the same money and opportunity to pitch for a competitive team and be the star.
They have egos and want to be elevated.”
That’s proven to have been a bunch of bunk
Sorry
“You think a FA elite SP is going to say, I’m good with trying to “win a spot” or “just stash me in the BP until an injury.”
You think an elite player isn’t going to discuss how the team plans to use them and the team’s plans before signing with that team?
Yes and for reasons started – why would the SP want to go to 2026 LA when he asks those questions and they name off all of the SP expected back and well, there are more than 5 that have a spot alteady.
That is the point you moron – why would they go there this year.
I’m not taking about prior years or years to come when spots are available.
“moron”
Muted
The team has to have a need to want to sign a player. If there no need, they aren’t interested unless it’s a gift contract they can’t refuse, for a pitcher they feel would help them even with the arms they have. Who is the starting pitcher that hits free agency who fits this description?
It’s like saying that someone who primarily is a DH won’t want to sign with the Dodgers.
There is at the moment no need to sign a high end starting pitcher in the off-season. So why would this scenario take place?
Scott should have come in with the 4 run lead, not a 1 run lead. His command issues appear more mental than anything. Henriquez has been very good, though they got to him last night- the late innings should have been split between him and Vesia.
No high leverage moments for him
His velo and spin rates aren’t too far off from what they were when he dominated. The stuff is still there. But I totally agree with the 4 run lead instead of 1. But Doc needs to see what they have, and that’s why they brought him here. Its unwavering loyalty, but times running out. You have to think it’s Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow as the starters, so they have Ohtani and Sheehan available for bulk. Scott had been on a 4 inning scoreless streak before last night. I think fans are expecting him to be perfect and he won’t be. I don’t think we’ll see him in high leverage spots this post season, and hopefully we won’t need him to be either.
“Doc” doesn’t need to see what they have, with a 1 1/2 lead with six (now five) games to go! That was terrible bullpen management.
Dave Roberts has and will always be the biggest liability for the Dodgers.
You might be right
But you’re also wrong
Roberts might be the Dodgers’ weakest link. That does not that he’s a liability.
The F/O, who has a much better record than you, of putting a team together and winning championships, has decided that Roberts is the guy to lead them.
And not the guy who hired him, creates the rosters, and the game planning?
Explain, in 50 words or less.
Interested to see how he looks
He may crash and burn, but based on tonight it is a sure thing Roki will be on post-season roster.
Looks like Vesia’s turn to blow the save tonight….
But how about the 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th by Clayton Kershaw!
Not saying much but Vesia has been the most consistent reliever this year. He was due for a really bad outing. Amazing the team squandered Tuesday’s game and equally amazing they held on Wednesday.
Here comes the postseason squadron. Snell, Yamamoto and Ohtani starting. Kershaw, Sheehan and Glasnow buttressing the 5-8/6-9 innings. Sasaki, Vesia, Dreyer, Banda, dinking and dunking for that one inning go. JWrob for 2 innings. Perhaps Casparius and Stewart return. Leaves 1-2 guys out of the pen maelstrom to make the postseason roster.