The Los Angeles Dodgers activated rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki from the 60-day injured list on Wednesday and plan to deploy him out of the bullpen over the final five games as an audition for a postseason spot.
To clear a roster spot, veteran reliever Kirby Yates went on the IL, retroactive to Sunday, due to a strained right hamstring.
Sasaki, 23, opened his first major league season in the rotation and started eight games, going 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. He last pitched for the Dodgers on May 9 before being sidelined with an impingement in his right shoulder.
Sasaki made seven rehab outings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, including five starts, posting an 0-2 record with a 6.10.
The activation of Sasaki comes as Los Angeles seeks late-inning stability before October. On Tuesday, the Diamondbacks rallied for a 5-4 win after Tanner Scott couldn’t close out the ninth.
Sasaki joined the Dodgers in January on a minor league contract that included a $6.5 million signing bonus.
While his debut has been uneven, the club will evaluate whether a shorter role can unlock his arsenal in time for the playoffs. Any positive impact would be key for a bullpen that has been in flux and is now missing Yates.
Sasaki is one of three Japanese players on the roster, alongside two-way star Shohei Ohtani and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers, who enter the final stretch looking to cement their postseason roster, will use this week to determine if Sasaki’s stuff plays in leverage spots — and whether his next appearance after the regular season will come in October.
