The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Roki Sasaki from the injured list on Tuesday after a blister on his right middle finger kept him sidelined for two weeks. The young right-hander returned to the mound that night and threw a scoreless inning of relief against the San Diego Padres, striking out two on 20 pitches.
With the postseason less than two weeks away and the Dodgers’ rotation fully healthy, Sasaki’s path back was always going to look different than a typical starter’s return. What nobody expected was that the role change would come at his request.
Sasaki Reveals He Asked for the Bullpen
After his outing Tuesday, Sasaki revealed that he went to Roberts on his own and proposed shifting to the bullpen.
“I’m just going to give my best, whatever opportunity I’m given,” Sasaki said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s a couple innings or not, just go out there and perform.”
Rather than push for a return to starting, Sasaki assessed the situation, recognized where the team needed him, and brought the solution to his manager.
Roberts said afterward that Sasaki’s willingness to do whatever it takes showed a clear understanding of how important every inning will be in October. The gesture resonated.
Sasaki is Ready
The concern with moving a starter to relief is whether the stuff holds up in a different context. Shorter outings. Less time to settle in. Higher intensity from the first pitch. But Sasaki has been here before, and he answered the call again Tuesday.
His fastball ticked up from its regular season velocity. The splitter did the most damage, accounting for both punchouts. He allowed two hits but kept the Padres off the board. He generated swings and misses on more than a third of the swings the Padres took against him. In 20 pitches, Sasaki showed that the arsenal plays just as well in short bursts as it does across a full start.
That matters for October. The Dodgers’ rotation features Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Blake Snell, with Tyler Glasnow available in a multi-inning relief role. Adding Sasaki to that mix as a high-leverage weapon gives Roberts an arm that can dominate a lineup for an inning or two in the most critical moments of a playoff game.
Final Word for the Dodgers
Roki Sasaki walked into Roberts’ office and asked for the bullpen. The stuff backed it up Tuesday night. The fastball was up. The splitter was devastating. One inning, two strikeouts, zero runs.
The Dodgers are building a pitching staff for October that has no weak spots. Sasaki just made it deeper. And he did it because he wanted to.
Dodgers Pitcher Makes Surprising Request Ahead of Postseason