The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to take on the Philadelphia Phillies in an anticipated NLDS matchup between two NL powerhouses. It's been 16 years since the Phillies and Dodgers last met in the postseason.
Throughout the MLB regular season, Los Angeles had a back-end of the bullpen problem. The front office signed three guys (Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Blake Treinen) to multi-year extensions, and all three of them have underperformed. This has led to many questions on who manager Dave Roberts can turn to late in games.
Roki Sasaki could be a closer option for the Dodgers
Roki Sasaki entered MLB as the No.1 overall prospect before even throwing a pitch. Early on in the season, his velocity was down, and he struggled with command. He was ultimately sidelined with a shoulder injury and stayed on the 60-Day IL.
However, he has since returned to the Dodgers' pitching staff, but this time in a bullpen role, and Roberts has already opted to use him as a late-inning arm a few times.
Sasaki closed out the Dodgers' Wednesday night game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning that allowed for Los Angeles to advance.
He's pitched in just one inning all three appearances he's had since May, and has yet to give up a run. He also has six strikeouts in those three appearances, and his stuff looks a lot firmer and he's throwing the ball with much more confidence.
For a Dodgers team that has pretty much everything else but a dominant closer at this point, if Sasaki can be a stabilizing factor in the bullpen, it may lead to the Dodgers repeating as World Series Champions.
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