The Los Angeles Dodgers plan to bring Roki Sasaki back as a relief pitcher rather than a starter, beginning with their series against the San Diego Padres that opens on Sept. 23, according to NHKニュース.
Manager Dave Roberts indicated the move, saying the team is fine with a four-man rotation, Japanese outlets including 日刊スポーツ reported. Roberts also said he trusts Sasaki in any situation, per Yahoo!ニュース.
Roberts suggested Sasaki would not immediately take over the ninth inning, though he left open the chance that the role could develop into that, 読売新聞 reported. The manager pointed to Sasaki's three saves in last year's postseason as evidence of that trust, according to 日刊スポーツ.
Sasaki, a right-hander, has worked as a starting pitcher for the Dodgers. The shift to the bullpen marks a change in how the club intends to use him down the stretch of the season. Multiple Japanese outlets, including ｄメニューニュース, reported that his return would come in relief during the Padres series.
The Dodgers have not announced a specific game or inning for his first appearance. Roberts' comments, as carried by the Japanese press, frame the decision as a fit with the team's current pitching needs rather than a permanent reassignment.
What to watch next: whether Sasaki appears during the three-game Padres series and how the Dodgers deploy him in late innings.
