Roki Sasaki Emerges as High-Leverage Reliever for Dodgers After Injury Return

Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old rookie, has emerged as a potential high-leverage arm for the Los Angeles Dodgers, making a dominant third career relief appearance in the Wild Card Series. Returning from the injured list roughly a week prior, Sasaki pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning with a triple-digit fastball, securing two strikeouts to end the series. His journey to the bullpen followed a highly-hyped signing and initial struggles as a starter; his velocity saw a downturn, leading to a 4.72 ERA and 6.19 FIP in eight starts before a shoulder impingement landed him on the IL in May for four-and-a-half months. Upon his return, with the Dodgers' rotation full, he transitioned to the bullpen, where his "Bullpen Edition" showed significant improvement. In two relief appearances last week, he threw two scoreless innings, with his fastball hitting 99 mph and his splitter proving effective, while his slider was no longer used. Manager Dave Roberts expressed trust in Sasaki for leverage situations, noting, "I trust him, and he's going to be pitching in leverage."