In a season that has tested the Los Angeles Dodgers' depth more than anyone anticipated, rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki has suddenly become a wildcard asset—literally. After months sidelined by a nagging shoulder injury, the 23-year-old Japanese phenom returned to the mound in the final week of the regular season, not as a starter, but in relief. His two scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks hinted at something brewing, but it was his postseason debut that truly turned heads.
During the Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds, Sasaki slammed the door on a potential comeback in the ninth inning of Game 2, striking out two and preserving a 5-3 victory. The Dodgers swept the series, advancing to the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Dave Roberts didn't mince words afterward, expressing full confidence in Sasaki for high-leverage situations. "The way he threw, the big games he's pitched in before—that's something I can trust," Roberts said, alluding to Sasaki's storied past in Japan, where he once threw a perfect game with 19 strikeouts.
However, Sasaki's path to this moment wasn't smooth. Signed as a marquee free agent in the offseason, he dazzled in spring training with fastballs topping 100 mph. Yet, injuries derailed him early; a shoulder impingement kept him out for 119 games. Rehab stints in Triple-A were rocky at first—velocity dipped, command faltered—but recent mechanical tweaks brought back the bite. Roberts pushed him into the bullpen role, a shift that seemed pragmatic given the Dodgers' stacked rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani.
Indeed, with the bullpen's 4.33 ERA plagued by inconsistencies this year, Sasaki's emergence feels like a timely boost. He threw 90 pitches in a recent rehab outing, mixing splitters and heat that recalled his "Monster of the Reiwa Era" nickname. Still, questions linger about his stamina in extended playoff runs. Roberts, ever the optimist, sees potential for more closing duties if the Dodgers push deeper.
Moreover, as the team gears up for Philadelphia's potent lineup, Sasaki's raw talent could tip close games. But can a reliever with limited big-league innings truly anchor a championship drive? Only the October pressure will tell.