The Los Angeles Dodgers are gearing up for the playoffs, but the bullpen continues to be a major concern heading into October. In response, the organization has made a notable move, shifting Roki Sasaki to the bullpen at Triple-A. For Sasaki, the transition has been all about his willingness to adapt.
“The first part of it was him giving himself the opportunity to agree to go to the ‘pen. And then the next part is, he’s got to perform,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Tonight, he performed. He was really good. And let’s see it again on Sunday. And then it kind of puts the onus on the organization to make a decision. In the postseason, there’s no roles. They’re all leverage.”
The bullpen move was likely Sasaki’s only path to pitching in October, as his numbers as a starter had not been strong since returning from injury and throwing in the minors.
“The Dodgers no longer can count on rookie Roki Sasaki helping them down the stretch. His velocity is nowhere near the 102 mph he threw in Japan. He has thrown 59 fastballs through his two rehab starts, and has generated only one swing-and-miss,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.
On Wednesday, Sasaki finally got the opportunity to showcase his new bullpen role after being activated. Based on his performance, it’s safe to say this transition may secure his spot on the postseason roster.
“Sasaki, who was activated from the 60-day injured list before the game, looked impressive in a 1-2-3 inning. He struck out two, including Ildemaro Vargas swinging on a 99 mph fastball, and departed with the Dodgers leading 3-1,” ESPN wrote.
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Against all odds, Sasaki now looks poised to claim a spot on the playoff roster—providing critical reinforcement in the area where the Dodgers need it most.
His velocity numbers were notably higher, even reaching 100 mph. It now appears the Dodgers may have been using him incorrectly, which could explain why hope seemed lost just a short time ago. With LA moving his role, it seems as if they have fixed a giant misstep.
