Roki Sasaki Emerges as Dodgers' Late-Inning Weapon with Historic Postseason Relief Appearance

Roki Sasaki, once a massively hyped rookie whose early MLB career was plagued by struggles with command, velocity, and a shoulder impingement, delivered a 'great all-time appearance' out of the bullpen in NLDS Game 4. After returning as a reliever following four months on the IL, Sasaki combined with Tyler Glasnow for nine scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts, and two hits allowed. He pitched three dominant innings, sitting at 99.5 mph with his fastball and throwing nasty splitters, carrying the Dodgers into extra innings. Sasaki credited a pitching coach in Arizona for helping him regain his velocity and command, transforming him into a confident, late-inning weapon for the Dodgers.