In baseball, some things that sound impossible in January become inevitable by October. Imagine saying in January that Roki Sasaki would close games in October. One would be laughed out of LA for suggesting this, then. And the idea seemed equally crazy in mid-June when a shoulder injury sidelined him after posting a shaky 4.72 ERA and walking nearly six batters per nine innings. But now? He’s forcing Dave Roberts to have a rethink about his postseason bullpen.

Even as September began, this notion was a fantasy when Sasaki was struggling mightily in his first four rehab assignments with a 7.07 ERA and an average velocity hovering around mid-90s. And when manager Dave Roberts said, “We’ve got to go with our best guys…And this is the time, right now… We just want to see more,” it felt like the final nail in the coffin for Sasaki’s 2025 season. But then, on September 9, Sasaki delivered a spectacular performance where he struck out eight batters in 4.2 innings and even remained scoreless up to the third. Suddenly, the velocity was back, and that outing lit the spark.

The Dodgers sent Sasaki to the bullpen for his next appearance after a minor calf issue that extended his rehab assignment. And Sasaki recoded a scoreless inning while striking out two with an average velocity of  98.9 mph and even touched triple digits. After that, a reporter asked Dave Roberts if it cleared Sasaki’s path back to the majors. “It does,” Roberts confirmed. “To his credit, he’s open to doing whatever he can to help the ‘25 Dodgers. And so he did something he’s never done, pitched out of the bullpen. And from what I hear, he was fantastic.” 

And when asked if Sasaki can make the cut for the postseason, Roberts said, “I do. And um, you know, the first part of it was him giving himself the opportunity um to agree to go to the pen. And then the next part is he’s got to perform. And so, tonight he performed, he was really good.” He further added that Sasaki will pitch again on Sunday, and then they will make a decision.

This is a massive faith in a pitcher who has exclusively been a starter his entire professional life. Excluding his last outings for Oklahoma, across his time in Japan, and the Dodgers’ system, Sasaki has made 83 appearances, and every single one was a start.

But why are the Dodgers suddenly relying on a rookie for their postseason hopes? The answer is simple: The 2024 “Bullpen Dawgs” have become their biggest liability.

Roki Sasaki’s rise comes amid veteran struggles for the Dodgers

This season, the ‘Dawgs’ have posted a combined 4.19 ERA and 1.340 WHIP, ranking 19th in the majors. This downward trajectory compared to last season is best personified by the team’s high-priced closer, Tanner Scott. After signing a $72 million contract last winter, Scott currently leads the major leagues in blown saves. “It’s terrible. I’m having the worst year of my life. I gotta be better,” Scott confessed.

And he is not alone, as other key veterans like Kirby Yates and Blake Treinen have also been inconsistent. 12 of the club’s last 19 losses were due to their bullpen’s collapse. And though the group was “lacking confidence” according to Roberts.  The picture looks even more stark when you see the starting rotation that includes Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Shohei Ohtani. They allowed just one or fewer hits through the first five innings in eight of their last eleven games entering 17th September, further exemplifying their closing struggles.

They could look for other solutions, but the options are tricky. Shohei Ohtani’s DH duties make his relief role difficult. Tyler Glasnow hasn’t pitched in relief since 2018. Even the legendary Clayton Kershaw’s announced retirement clouds any unconventional role for him. So Sasaki remains the most plausible solution if he continues this consistency.

And history shows rookie starters can thrive in relief. In 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals moved Adam Wainwright to the pen, and he closed out the 2006 World Series. Garrett Crochet also helped the White Sox in 2020 as a rookie reliever. So, Roki Sasaki now has one final test on Sunday as well as a blueprint to become the postseason savior for the Dodgers.