Kershaw joins the NLDS roster for Dodgers, used from the pen as L.A. faces Philadelphia. The veteran lefty finished 2025 with 112 2/3 innings and a 3.36 ERA in 23 appearances, his farewell season shaping a playoff role. The Dodgers line up a playoff rotation featuring Ohtani in Game 1, Snell in 2, Yamamoto in 3 and Glasnow in 4, with Ohtani a potential Game 5 option; Glasnow could also pitch from the bullpen in Game 1 as needed.

Phillies bring Harper and Schwarber left-handed thunder, testing LA’s bullpen depth. Dodgers also shuffled lefty options in the Reds series (Vesia and Dreyer) and closed the regular season with a farewell start against the Diamondbacks, highlighting a franchise chapter as the postseason begins.

Dodgers ride elite pitching and a hot offense into the NLDS, with Ohtani’s postseason pitching debut anchoring the rotation and Yamamoto growing into a trusted big‑game option. Sasaki adds a fresh late‑inning look as Betts heats up, and LA sweeps CIN to set up a Philly test. The bullpen’s late‑inning command remains the hinge, but the collection of stars and depth keeps the title talk loud.

The Dodgers’ bullpen hiccup in the wild-card round exposed a shaky bridge to October, but 23-year-old Roki Sasaki flashed elite relief upside. His triple-digit fastball and hammer splitter dominated hitters in a 1-2-3 ninth, marking a potential late-game difference-maker as Los Angeles advances on the back of a pair of wins over Cincinnati. With the rest of the bullpen scuffling—Vesia, Henriquez and Dreyer missing the zone in key moments—Sasaki’s quick rise has given the roster a credible high-leverage option, while Treinen steadies the ship in the short term.

Sasaki’s journey from hype to bullpen ace is the focal point: a former top prospect who found his footing post-IL, revamped his plan, and now looks ready for pivotal late-inning duties. The rest of LA’s relief corps remains under scrutiny ahead of the NLDS against Philadelphia, forcing starters to hand over bigger cushions. Dodgers fans and fantasy managers alike will be watching closely how Sasaki and Treinen shoulder the late-inning load as LA chases a championship.

Los Angeles Dodgers opened the NL Wild Card with a 10-5 demolition of Cincinnati, driving five homers as Blake Snell dominated through seven innings and racked up nine strikeouts. Ohtani and Hernández provided multi-homer punch, lifting the offense early and giving the bullpen a cushion—until the late innings exposed a fragile relief corps in a must-win setting.

Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene took the loss in his postseason debut, surrendering three homers and exiting after three. Dodgers’ bullpen usage underscored the playoff reality: depth arms matter in a short series, while the Dodgers’ offense and Snell’s form offer a blueprint for a title chase, even as the Reds try to rebound in Games 2 and 3.