Dodgers' Roki Sasaki Reveals The One Thing Shohei Ohtani Has Said To Him

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) along with starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) listen to third base coach Dino Ebel (91) in the dugout during the game against the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium on July 22. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In what's become a rollercoaster rookie season in Major League Baseball, Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki at least hasn't lost his sense of humor.

Sitting before reporters in Philadelphia on Friday, one day before Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and Phillies, Sasaki revealed what Shohei Ohtani has said to him about pitching in the postseason.

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“He hasn’t said much to me," Sasaki said, "aside from hey, when are you pitching again?”

To be fair, it's become a compelling question.

Sasaki made his first eight appearances this season as a starting pitcher, going 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA. He struggled with command and control. His fastball velocity was erratic.

After going on the injured list with a shoulder ailment in May, Sasaki did not return to the Dodgers' active roster until the final week of the regular season. With no room in the starting rotation, Sasaki made his final two appearances of the season out of the bullpen.

It was only two games, but Sasaki's stellar performance immediately established himself as an option in high-leverage situations.

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Sasaki pitched a scoreless seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 24, striking out two. He did the same thing two days later in Seattle against the Mariners.

In his postseason debut, Sasaki pitched the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 8-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 2 of the Wild Card series. He again struck out two batters in a scoreless inning.

Rōki Sasaki, 100mph Fastball and 89mph Splitter/Fork, Individual Pitches + Overlay pic.twitter.com/aZbrwUDRth

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 2, 2025

One day after Sasaki's wicked fastball/splitter combination was the subject of a post on the popular @PitchingNinja Twiter/X account, the account's proprietor, Rob Friedman, openly questioned whether Sasaki can handle the hostile road environment in Philadelphia.

"I'm a little more skeptical, a little more worried, because being a closer in the postseason is a whole different ballgame," Friedman said. "I know his mechanics have been fixed. I know his stuff looks really good. But when you've got a hostile crowd yelling at you, all things go to hell. Like I — we'll see."

"Being a closer in the postseason is a whole different ballgame."@PitchingNinja is optimistic, but still skeptical about Roki Sasaki closing games on the road in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/wiC4fqDEKO

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 3, 2025

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hasn't formally named Sasaki his closer. And it's fair to draw a sharp contrast between pitching the ninth inning of a home game with a four-run lead, and a tighter game situation on the road. The environment at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia is arguably as hostile as any in Major League Baseball.

Still, if Sasaki can strike out Cal Raleigh — the potential American League MVP — with a runner on second base to protect a two-run lead before 45,458 fans on the road in a meaningful regular season game, maybe anything is possible. Sasaki felled Raleigh on three pitches on the final Friday of the regular season in Seattle.

Roki Sasaki strikes out Cal Raleigh with 3 NASTY splitters 😳 pic.twitter.com/j3abv9wIKo

— MLB (@MLB) September 27, 2025

Perhaps he'll get a chance to prove that performance was no fluke, whether in the sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth inning. When is he pitching again?

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