RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasak i left the game against the Atlanta Braves due to an apparent finger injury.
Sasaki had been struggling without his best stuff before being pulled. He was in the fourth inning, where he had already allowed a run and had two runners on base, one at second and another at third, with one out.
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Pitching coach Mark Prior, translator Will Ireton, and the Dodgers trainer examined his hand and called for Sasaki to be pulled.
The Dodgers announced that it was a blister on the middle finger of his right hand.
Aug 26, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images
Edgardo Henriquez came in to relieve Sasaki and ended up generating a fly ball to left field that Teoscar Hernandez made a mistake on and misplayed.
It fell for a double, leading to Sasaki being charged with a third and fourth run, but Henriquez eventually got two outs to limit the damage.
Why the Dodgers need Roki Sasaki healthy
Sasaki has been a legitimately good pitcher for the Dodgers since the All-Star break, and his presence in the rotation, along with Roki Sasaki, allows him to be the sixth starter and give everyone more rest.
Aug 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) during pregame warmup against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images
Now, his rotation spot is up in the air, at least for his next scheduled start.
More importantly, the Dodgers need Roki Sasaki to pitch key relief innings in the postseason.
LA’s postseason rotation gives Sasaki no chance to start, and instead, he will occupy a high-leverage reliever role.
The Dodgers’ bullpen has been shaky overall, with only a few reliable names and the rest inconsistent.
One of the luxuries of having such an elite rotation is that the second half of the rotation ends up moving to the bullpen.
Out of the starters who are entering the bullpen, Sasaki has the best stuff, with his velocity and splitter ideally being unleashed for an inning or two.
He can also be a fallback option in case one of the starters has a bad game. If Sasaki needs to skip a start, that should be fine, but come October, the Dodgers need him.
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