Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki high praise after his bullpen appearance against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
Sasaki took on a new role as a reliever upon his return from more than a monthlong rehab assignment. In his first appearance back in the majors, the 23-year-old threw a perfect inning with two strikeouts.
“He looks like a different person,” Roberts said. “I just think there’s a lot more confidence, a lot more conviction and obviously the stuff is up than where it was earlier this year. He’s learned a lot from this season.”
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Sasaki began the season on the major league roster, however had difficulty adjusting to MLB during the early portion of the season. He made eight starts, posting a 4.72 ERA through 34.1 innings before landing on the injured list with right shoulder impingement May 13.
The right-hander had a similarly difficult start to Triple-A when he began his rehab assignment, however evenutually settled in. He had a 7.07 ERA through four starts, however pieced things together his fifth time out on Sept. 9, when he threw 4.2 innings and struck out eight. He allowed three runs in the outing, but kept his opponents scoreless for the first four innings.
After that, the Comets moved Sasaki to the bullpen, where he seemed much more comfortable. They brought him in from the bullpen twice, and he had two great outings. He struck two batters out in his first relief appearance, and kept a perfect inning the second time out.
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Sasaki’s addition to the bullpen is an important one for the Dodgers, as he will be an important piece if the rest of their bullpen continues to struggle. The Dodgers will hope to keep him healthy and available as he continues to try to prove himself for the postseason with just a handful of games remaining in the regular season.
The Dodgers’ final series of the season comes against the Seattle Mariners, and begins Friday at 6:40 p.m. PT.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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