Roki Sasaki Waited Months to Finally Be Open to Help From Dodgers Coaches Amid Struggles

Oct 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning during game one of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Roki Sasaki's Major League Baseball career did not get off to the start he would have hoped.

Sasaki made eight starts from between March and May with uninspiring results. Before he was placed on the injured list with a right shoulder injury, Sasaki held a 4.72 ERA and had pitched more than five innings in only two of his starts.

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After spending over four months on the injured list and in the minor leagues, Sasaki is now a major contributor to the Dodgers bullpen in October — and perhaps staked his claim on the closer role after strong performance in the Games 1 and 2 of the NLDS.

The path to get here wasn't a straight one. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that earning Sasaki's trust took time and deliberation.

Roki Sasaki was lost. Velo down. Poor results. Then suddenly he was back, looking like a monster again. From a leap of faith to a deposition to a cue that helped Sasaki find 100 mph and close Dodgers playoff games, this is how it happened, free at ESPN: https://t.co/MJDJ8FxnZW

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 6, 2025

"For months, officials throughout the organization had worked to gain Sasaki's trust, cognizant of how loath he was to offer it," Passan wrote. "President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, general manager Brandon Gomes and manager Dave Roberts all had let Sasaki know they hadn't lost faith, even as he'd gone from the major league rotation to minor league mediocrity. They would provide whatever tools he needed as the season went on."

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After Sasaki agreed to a mechanical overhaul, the changes the Dodgers pitching staff enacted have clearly worked so far.

Director of pitching Rob Hill played a major role in helping Sasaki, as after watching footage of Sasaki in 2022 and 2023, Hill and his team made adjustments to Sasaki's starting stance to help him delay rotating his pelvis early.

"Good or bad, right or wrong, he hasn't had a whole lot of instruction. He's just been on his own program because of the talent," Roberts said. "And there was a point where he was in Arizona where the group came together and said, 'Hey, you've got to give Rob a chance.' And to his credit, he bought into that and just kind of freed himself up."

With two regular season relief outings and now three in the postseason, Sasaki has allowed just two hits and zero earned runs across 4.1 innings — including his clutch closing performances against the Phillies.

"He's got the look of a killer," Roberts said on the new and improved Sasaki.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.