PHOENIX — The Dodgers made another bullpen shuffle this week, placing veteran reliever Kirby Yates on the injured list with a hamstring injury. In his place, Roki Sasaki will be activated to pitch out of the bullpen, according to manager Dave Roberts.
Yates’ Season of Frustration
When the Dodgers signed Yates, the hope was for him to be a steady late-inning arm with postseason experience. Instead, he’s been nothing short of a bust. September has been especially brutal, with Yates carrying a 7.71 ERA over eight outings. He struck out seven and walked four in that stretch, but the results speak louder than the numbers: six earned runs allowed in just seven innings.
This isn’t even his first trip to the IL. Back in August, Yates landed there with lower-back issues and spent three weeks sidelined. Now with a hamstring problem on top of it, his contributions for 2025 have been forgettable at best and damaging at worst.
Sasaki’s Long Road Back
If Yates has disappointed, Sasaki hasn’t exactly fared much better—at least not yet. The prized Japanese import has been more myth than reality in his first year in Los Angeles, sidelined since early May with shoulder problems. The hype surrounding his arrival gave way to frustration as the months passed with him stuck on the injured list.
But now comes the intriguing part: Sasaki is back, and he’ll get his chance out of the bullpen. Roberts has said that the 23-year-old has embraced the idea of relieving, noting, “I think he’s done a very nice job. Once he’s in the ‘pen, we’ll make decisions on when we use him.”
A Role in October?
Sasaki’s transition to relief isn’t just a desperate move—it may be the best way to sneak him onto the postseason roster. His rehab appearances in Triple-A came out of the bullpen, and he showed flashes of his electric potential, with improved command and fastball velocity sitting near 99 mph.
He may not have an easy path back into the rotation—especially with how strong the Dodgers’ starters have looked down the stretch—but in short bursts, Sasaki could be a weapon. If he can carry his minor league progress into October, fans might finally see why so many teams fought to sign him last winter.
The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher
The Dodgers don’t need Sasaki to throw seven shutout innings in the postseason. They need him to get outs, miss bats, and deliver in high-leverage spots. If he does, all the frustration of his lost summer will be forgotten.
Dodger fans have a short memory when October heroes are born. What once were starters can be used in interesting ways. Just ask Julio Urías in 2020. If Sasaki steps up in the same way, his rocky debut season will fade into trivia, and he’ll be remembered as the pitcher who helped deliver when it mattered most.
For now, though, the bullpen shuffle is clear: Yates goes down, Sasaki steps in. One chapter closes, and another chance begins.
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