#roki-sasaki

#roki-sasaki

So far this postseason, whenever Dodgers fans heard "Báilalo Rocky" ring through the loudspeakers, that meant two things were coming - pitcher Roki Sasaki was about to throw some vicious splitters in relief, and a Dodgers win was likely just a few outs away. Sasaki's walkout music has taken on a life of its own, in part because of the only-in-L.A. culture clash that has a sensational Japanese pitcher embracing a Latin club hit as he dominates the postseason.

Roki Sasaki. For now, anyway. At least that's the answer through the rubric of Win Probability Added (WPA, a metric that's been around for a while now and has a lot of utility in putting numbers to the narratives that emerge as the October bracket plays out. How the Dodgers fixed Roki Sasaki After a disastrous MLB debut, L.A.'s new ninth-inning man has unleashed jaw-dropping stuff in October.Jeff Passan "

Sasaki became the first pitcher to throw a perfect eighth, ninth and 10th inning during a series clinching victory. the 23-year-old dominated a stacked Phillies lineup, coming into the game to face MVP candidate Kyle Schwarber, former MVP Bryce Harper and All-Star Alec Bohm. He dispatched all three, and went on to retire the next six batters in a row as well.

Even though he disappointed relative to preseason expectations, there was a general thought that the 23-year-old could sit out the remainder of the year while rebooting ahead of 2026. Based on what's been showcased over the last two weeks, the decision to bring Sasaki back has been a wise one. The rookie closed out Game 1 of the NLDS in front of a raucous crowd at Citizens Bank Park.

It marks a third time Yates has been on the injured list this season and seemingly puts his availability for the playoffs in jeopardy. At minimum, he is guaranteed to miss when the Dodgers likely start the postseason in the Wild Card Series. Yates previously missed time from the middle of May into the first week of June because of a right hamstring strain.

Sasaki endured inconsistent fastball velocity and results through eight starts before going on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. His recovery included a setback and at one point Sasaki pitching again in 2025 appeared to be in question. He eventually began to make steady progress and began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Aug. 14.