The Los Angeles Dodgers will not be turning to Roki Sasaki to fill the bullpen void left by Edwin Diaz, the star closer who recently went down with an elbow injury.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters, including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, that Sasaki would remain in the rotation. He delivered a simple “no” when the possibility of the role change for the struggling right-hander was suggested.
Sasaki emerged as a dominant reliever during LA’s run to the 2025 World Series title. He notched three saves and two holds as the club’s closer in the postseason. Sasaki returned to a starting role this season. He’s permitted 12 earned runs in 17.2 innings.
Los Angeles Dodgers Not Moving Roki Sasaki Back to the Bullpen
Sasaki came to MLB with plenty of hype after a dominant stretch in Japan. The right-hander posted four straight seasons with a sub-2.50 ERA in his Nippon Professional Baseball career. The Dodgers landed him after he was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines heading into the 2025 season.
Los Angeles gave Sasaki a chance in the rotation to begin his first season in the States. It went poorly. The righty stumbled to a 4.72 ERA in his first eight starts. Sasaki showed consistent control issues. He piled up 22 walks over 34.1 innings before hitting the IL with a shoulder injury. Sasaki didn’t make it back to the team until the final week of the regular season. By then, the club had decided he would function as a reliever.
Sasaki delivered one of the more unexpected playoff runs in recent memory. He went from being an afterthought on the roster to a crucial member of the late-inning mix. Sasaki earned his first career MLB save in Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Dave Roberts turned to Blake Treinen for the save in Game 2. He allowed the first three hitters to reach base. Roberts then turned to Alex Vesia, who couldn’t put out the fire. Sasaki coaxed a groundout from Trea Turner to seal the 4-3 victory.
Now entrenched as the closer, Sasaki continued to excel as the Dodgers advanced to the Fall Classic. He slammed the door in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Sasaki retired the side in order to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead in the series. He tossed 2.2 scoreless frames in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dodgers Face Uncertainty With Diaz Sidelined
Diaz and his three-year, $69 million contract will be on the shelf for roughly three months. The former New York Mets stopper had scuffled to a 10.50 ERA over seven appearances before going down with the arm injury. Diaz had experienced diminished velocity in his debut campaign with the Dodgers.
LA will now turn to a collection of Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, and Blake Treinen in the 9th inning. Vesia has recorded the last two saves for the club. Scott racked up 23 saves as the primary closer last season. Treinen has considerable closing experience, though he’s struggled this season.
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