It only took one inning for Roki Sasaki to breathe new life into Dodgers career

23-year-old pitching phenom Roki Sasaki has not lived up to expectations in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sasaki was one of the most sought after free agents last winter, being viewed as the next great Japanese arm that could pitch at the front end of a starting rotation for the next decade.

From 2022-2024 in Japan, Sasaki was 26-13 with a 2.06 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 437 strikeouts in 331.1 innings, but he has been both injured and overmatched in Major League Baseball since the season began.

With the Dodgers in 2025, Sasaki had a 4.72 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and lousy underlying metrics through his first eight appearances. He then landed on the Injured List with a right shoulder impingement, which would sideline him for most of his rookie season.

Even during his seven minor league rehab appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Sasaki struggled with a 6.10 ERA and 1.597 WHIP.

He gave little reason for Dodgers fans to believe he was ready to contribute in 2025 as the team looks to repeat as World Series champions.

However, on Wednesday night in Arizona, Sasaki breathed new life into his Dodgers career coming out of the bullpen.

Dodgers' Roki Sasaki shines in relief appearance vs. DBacks

Sasaki entered Wednesday night's game in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Dodgers holding a 3-1 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It was his first time taking the mound in the big leagues since May 9, which also came at Chase Field in Arizona.

Sasaki got a soft groundout to first base and two strikeouts in his return, making quick work of the playoff hopeful Diamondbacks with a 1-2-3 inning.

It inspires new hope for Sasaki, not just down the line of his MLB career, but for the rest of 2025.

The Dodgers have been desperate for relief help all season long as bullpen woes have plagued them. Perhaps a late-inning relief role for Sasaki in the postseason could help plug the hole for Los Angeles and put Sasaki in a better position to succeed.

Maybe his long-term future is still in the starting rotation, but on Wednesday, Sasaki flashed all the potential Dodgers fans have been waiting to see.

Even if he never lives up to all the hype, getting playoff contributions from Roki Sasaki would be a sight for sore eyes, and could reshape the trajectory of his young career.