For much of the season, the Dodgers have resembled more of a triage unit than a title contender. With nearly 30 players either on or visiting the injured list, few franchises in MLB have faced such relentless attrition. Their bullpen was a patchwork, the rotation was in flux, and the lineup was constantly reshuffled. Yet somehow, the Dodgers weathered the storm.

But now, as the postseason looms ever closer, the tide is beginning to turn in Los Angeles. Bit by bit, the pieces are falling back into place. For instance, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have returned and are starting to regain their rhythm. Shohei Ohtani, after months of carefully managed progress, went four innings deep in his most recent start. And perhaps most exciting of all, one of the most hyped international prospects in recent memory is preparing to make his long-awaited return.

Yes, Roki Sasaki is inching closer to a Dodgers debut, with early September circled as a potential target. And that’s a development that could give the Dodgers a major shot in the arm heading into October. But with the roster stacked with stars, seasoned veterans, and surging young arms, nothing is guaranteed, especially not a seat in the dugout. So, as Sasaki eyes a return to the mound, the biggest question remains. Can the Japanese phenom not only make it back, but make himself indispensable?

“Dave Roberts put it this way: When we go into October, we’re gonna take the thirteen best arms we have. If Roki Sasaki is one of them, whether it helps to fill out the rotation or maybe serve in a bullpen role, he’ll be part of that group. And if he’s not, he won’t be. And that’s going to be the big question for Roki,” Dodgers reporter Jack Harris has a different view, as he shared in a Foul Territory podcast.

So, just because Sasaki is getting healthy doesn’t mean the Dodgers are going to count on him during the stretch run, especially not in the postseason.

So far, the rookie hasn’t exactly impressed. In 34.1 innings, he’s struck out only 24 batters. Not the kind of numbers you want to see from someone trying to lock down a rotation spot. And one of the bigger concerns has been his declining velocity. Notably, when Sasaki made his MLB debut in Japan back in March, he lit up the radar gun. He threw over 100 mph on his first four pitches.

“You know his fastball is only sitting around 96 at the start of the year. That pitch is supposed to be closer to 100 because it’s a little bit flatter and easier to hit, and opponents were able to square it up a lot early in the season.“

Fast forward almost two months, and that heat is gone. His four-seam fastball has averaged just 96 mph this season, and at times it’s dipped as low as 92-93 mph. However, his best pitch might actually be a new one he added: a two-seamer.

“And then he tried to add a two-seamer too, which I think is something that’s just an interesting development for a guy who clearly at this stage of his career is trying to figure out,” Harris added.

Reportedly, while rehabbing his injury, Sasaki has been working on adding a two-seam fastball to his pitch mix. While we aren’t sure how well Sasaki is locating the two-seamer, we’re certain that he could make it a usable weapon. And the goal? To help Sasaki avoid hard contact, miss more barrels, and generate more ground balls by mixing the two-seamer in alongside his four-seam fastball.

However, despite all these, Sasaki is not guaranteed a key role for the Dodgers the rest of the way because it depends on how others are performing!

The Dodgers’ phenom broke his silence

Well, so far, the rookie hasn’t exactly impressed. Sasaki has made eight starts and posted a 4.72 ERA. So, when Sasaki landed on the injured list back on May 10 with a right shoulder issue, it ended up giving him a much-needed chance to reset his season. And that reset hit a key milestone this past Tuesday. He threw a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium and spoke to the media for the first time in nearly three months.

“I feel better about being able to throw harder, especially because I’m pain-free,” Sasaki said. “With that being said, I do have to face live hitters and see how my mechanics hold and be able to do that consistently.”

So, Sasaki is moving in the right direction for his Dodgers roster spot. But what does the Dodgers’ manager think?

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team’s current plan is to stretch Sasaki out as a starter. And that would make him a solid backup option in case any of the team’s five current starters, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, or Shohei Ohtani run into injury issues. While for the first time in 2025, all five are healthy, as always, depth matters.

However, Roberts didn’t rule out the idea of Sasaki shifting to a bullpen role if needed. In the postseason, teams usually only rely on three or four starters, anyway. So, even in a fully healthy rotation, not everyone is guaranteed to be part of the October starting mix. Hence, we might yet see a few combinations and probabilities around Sasaki before concluding on his fixed spot in the Dodgers lineup.