Dodgers News: Roki Sasaki Makes First Relief Appearance, Possible Postseason Option
Roki Sasaki made his first appearance in the bullpen yesterday, which could be his role moving forward this season.
TACOMA, WA—As the Los Angeles Dodgers began their last four-game series at Chavez Ravine, the Oklahoma City Dodgers conducted an experiment in Triple-A, featuring rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki pitching out of the bullpen.
Sasaki, 23, had never appeared out of the bullpen throughout his professional career, being exclusively a starter, a role that he had while on the big league roster and through his first five appearances in Triple-A.
However, with October on the horizon and the Dodgers’ bullpen being the glaring issue before the postseason, the organization is getting creative in finding a possible solution for it, and the answer could involve Sasaki.
Yesterday, Sasaki made his first relief appearance of the season, and it was nothing short of impressive.
In one inning, Sasaki retired three of the four batters he faced, striking out two and issuing one walk. The right-hander reached 100.1 mph and averaged 98.9 mph with his four-seamer, resulting in four swings and misses with the pitch.
Sasaki is set for one more relief appearance on Sunday, the final day of the Triple-A regular season, and then the organization again will be tasked with a decision on next steps for the right-hander.
After the Dodgers game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shared his thoughts on Sasaki’s outing and where things line up moving forward.
“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,” 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.”
Since the Trade Deadline, the Dodgers have been searching for a reliable right-handed pitcher to strengthen their bullpen. They are optimistic that Treinen is improving, but Kopech and Kirby Yates have not shown promising performance lately.
Several notable players are currently in Triple-A and not on the active roster. Rehabbing with Sasaki are Brock Stewart, who gave up four unearned runs in two-thirds of an inning on Thursday, and Kyle Hurt, who pitched a clean inning. Ben Casparius has allowed only a solo home run in 3.2 innings since being sent down, with the goal of restoring his effectiveness against right-handed hitters.
With nine games left in the regular season, Roberts is assessing which pitchers he can rely on in critical moments. Opportunities to evaluate them are scarce, particularly for Sasaki, who is still adapting to a relief role.
But another solid relief outing on Sunday could prompt the Dodgers to give Sasaki the chance to prove himself during the final week of the regular season.
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
