Roki Sasaki returned for the Dodgers with a 13-pitch, scoreless seventh, touching 99 mph in relief—a glimpse of a late-season bullpen upgrade for the postseason.

Velocity had dipped earlier in the year, but Sasaki flashed short-innings upside as Los Angeles battles bullpen meltdowns behind a playoff push. Yates’ hamstring and recent bullpen struggles amplify the significance of his rebound, while the Dodgers eye Sasaki as a potential postseason option.

With a two-game lead on San Diego, the Dodgers need depth; Sasaki’s upcoming outings will determine whether he lands a role in October or remains insurance for the bullpen in a tight division race.

Dodgers activate Roki Sasaki from the 60-day IL and plan to deploy him in 1- to 2-inning bursts out of the bullpen across the final five regular-season games to gauge a postseason role. Dave Roberts emphasizes an attacking, no-strings approach with Sasaki as the reinforcement option for late innings.

With Kirby Yates headed to the injured list and Tanner Scott recently blown a save against Arizona, Los Angeles is chasing bullpen depth. Sasaki owns a 4.72 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 34⅓ innings this season, after a mid-year move to Triple-A Oklahoma City and a signing bonus tied to the Chiba Lotte Marines’ posting system. The Dodgers hope the rookie can contribute when it counts.

Dodgers bullpen woes loom as the club weighs an unconventional spark: Roki Sasaki. After four months off with shoulder issues and a 4.72 ERA across eight starts, Sasaki has shown late-inning promise in two relief stints at triple-A Oklahoma City, touching 100 mph. Roberts plans a road-trip return, eyeing him for high-leverage work in a six-game stretch that could reshape bullpen usage for October.

Meanwhile, Treinen’s uneven form and forearm scares keep the Dodgers hunting for reliable late-inning answers. Names like Klein, Stewart, Sheehan, and even Kershaw enter the mix as the bullpen puzzle tightens. With the postseason looming, Sasaki’s door reopening could tilt leverage decisions from steady-but-strained veterans to a fresher, higher-ceiling committee.

Dodgers snapped a protracted scoring drought with a 13-7 win over the Giants, flipping a 4-1 hole behind Hernández’s two-run double and Ohtani’s long homer as the lineup finally clicked in key moments.

A six-run fifth, highlighted by Conforto’s sac fly and Rortvedt’s two-run double, capped a comeback and showed two-strike hitting and patient at-bats unlocking the order, with Betts delivering an RBI single to seal the surge.

The relief came from a bullpen that steadied after early trouble, keeping LA 2.5 games up in the NL West as the club exhaled, Will Smith’s IL stint looming, and a potential turning point in sight for a team recalibrating its offense.