Dodgers Activating Roki Sasaki, Will Use Him in Bullpen

The Dodgers will activate Roki Sasaki from the 60-day injured list ahead of Wednesday's game in Arizona and plan to use the 23-year-old out of the bullpen rather than as a starter. Sasaki missed most of the season with a right shoulder impingement and a minor calf issue after an uneven MLB debut that included a 4.72 ERA and control problems across eight starts. During Triple-A rehab his velocity climbed back into the upper-90s and touched 100 mph in short bursts, and coaches tweaked his delivery and added a cutter while his splitter regained effectiveness. He threw two scoreless relief innings in Oklahoma City and has shown improved swing-and-miss stuff, prompting the Dodgers to consider him a potential high-leverage option for October. That role is not guaranteed — the team will evaluate him this week (with Brock Stewart day‑to‑day) before finalizing the postseason bullpen amid season-long relief struggles.