With the final week of the 2025 season upon us, more and more questions are arising for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they prepare for their 13th straight postseason appearance.
One of those questions pertains to a problem that they have been facing throughout the latter part of the year: their bullpen struggles. But with October looming on the horizon, Los Angeles is turning to the most sought-after prospect from the previous winter.
For the past four months, 23-year-old Roki Sasaki has been sidelined from big league action and has been taking the precautionary route in his recovery in hopes of being a game-changing contributor for a deep Dodgers playoff run. When Sasaki began making his rehab outings for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, OKC Comets, he struggled mightily with his lack of velocity and command, and in turn, it looked as though the Dodgers might have to make other arrangements for the flamethrower.
Despite the slow start to his rehab, the past month has shown that Sasaki could be a key part of the Dodgers' bullpen in October. Sasaki has shown signs of his velocity returning to normal, and adjustments to his mechanics have helped him stay more in sync with his body.
Along with Sasaki returning to his normal status on the mound, his past two rehab outings determined the direction that Los Angeles has for Sasaki. In his last two outings, he came out of the bullpen and, in two total innings pitched, recorded scoreless innings in both.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on Tuesday afternoon that Sasaki is expected to be activated on Wednesday, along with fellow right-hander Brock Stewart, who is closely following behind Sasaki.
"Roki was really good," Roberts said in regards to Sasaki's last rehab appearance out of the bullpen for the Comets. "The stuff was good. So he'll fly to Arizona to come meet us there. He won't be available to pitch until Wednesday, but he's done what he needs to do to get an opportunity. We still have to get him on our roster."