Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2025

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers activated Roki Sasaki and put Kirby Yates on the IL with a hamstring pull.

Right now, if a pitcher can help the weary, ineffective Dodger bullpen, the Dodgers will use him. Sasaki has had a tough rookie season. Sasaki was ineffective in the starting rotation when he had 1 win, 1 loss, and a 4.72 ERA.  He went on the IL on May 20^th with a right shoulder impingement.

If Sasaki can maintain his 98+ miles per hour velocity, he can be a good right-handed reliever. He struggled as a starter on his rehabilitation assignment, but he was a brilliant reliever. As a reliever, he needs only his fastball and splitter. As a starter, he needs three or more pitches to be effective. If Sasaki can be a dominant reliever, he will be valuable to the Dodgers.

Kirby Yates has been battling an ongoing hamstring issue during the 2025 season. At least three times, his troublesome hamstring has put him on the IL. Pitching with a sore hamstring prevents Yates from having his pitches sink in the strike zone, so they hang and say, “hit me.” The opposition has been obeying. Yates might not pitch again in the 2025 season.

Despite the performances of Alex Vesia and Edgardo Henriquez, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-to-4 in eleven innings on Wednesday night at Chase Field.

Shohei Ohtani tripled to start the game and scored on Mookie Betts’ sacrifice fly.

While Blake Snell didn’t have his best outing, he battled in his six innings. He allowed only a run. When the Dodgers signed Snell, people questioned if Snell had the heart of a champion. In his last two starts, he has proven he has it.

Andy Pages had a two-run homer in the fourth. Teoscar Hernández had an important, run-producing double.

For the first time since the middle of May, Roki Sasaki pitched in the major leagues and just dominated. He struck out two. If Sasaki can pitch like this on Friday, he should be the closer in the postseason.

Alex Vesia has been a great reliever, but on Wednesday, he didn’t have it. Edgardo Henriquez couldn’t stop the bleeding. The Diamondbacks tied the score.

The future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw came in the ninth and pitched a perfect ninth inning.

In the tenth, Jack Dreyer tried but issued two walks while retiring two.

Since coming off the IL, Blake Treinen had struggled but not tonight. He got a pop up to end the tenth.

Freddie Freeman was the free runner in the eleventh inning. He advanced to third on Teoscar Hernández’s fly ball. Tommy Edman’s single scored Freeman.

Justin Wrobleski was perfect in the eleventh.