Dodgers bullpen is a mess. Can Roki Sasaki’s return provide relief?
Dave Roberts often refers to his bullpen hierarchy as something of a “trust tree,” with branches of relievers he can trust in leverage spots.Right now,…
Roki Sasaki a playoff reliever? Don’t put it past desperate Dodgers
There’s desperate, and there’s desperate to where you’re looking for Roki Sasaki to be the answer to your team’s late-inning problems.The same Roki Sasaki who…
Strong rehab outing could put Roki Sasaki back in Dodgers’ postseason roster contention
Roki Sasaki topped 100 mph a half-dozen times in four shutout innings of a rehab start for triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, pushing himself back…
Things are finally turning around for Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki
Between now and October, the Dodgers will be evaluating their increasingly healthy pitching staff, trying to identify the best 13 arms for their World Series…
Clayton Kershaw moves closer to 3,000 strikeouts in Dodgers’ win
It’s hard not to count as the strikeouts go by.Clayton Kershaw’s first strikeout Friday night came on his “Cooperstown curveball” — a pitch that’s dazzled…
Dodgers place starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin on injured list
ST. LOUIS — The number of Dodgers pitchers on the injured list grew by one Saturday when the team sidelined Tony Gonsolin because of discomfort in his…
Dodgers injury update: Mookie Betts nears return, Tyler Glasnow stalls
The Dodgers’ lineup should be back at full strength soon.When they’ll be able to say the same about their pitching staff is anyone’s guess.First, the…
Dodgers fall to Arizona for their fourth consecutive loss
Dodger Stadium was eerily quiet for much of Monday night. And not just because whole sections of the upper deck sat largely empty.In a 9-5…
Roki Sasaki’s shoulder issue puts Dodgers in a familiar, problematic position
Like pretty much every other time the Dodgers have found themselves in a self-made mess, the task of downplaying a major problem once again was…
Roki Sasaki’s declining fastball velocity is a problem. Can the Dodgers fix it?
In the Tokyo Dome in March, you could almost hear the zip of the ball.101 mph.The pop of the catcher’s mitt sounded like a gunshot.100…
Shohei Ohtani homer caps wild rally in Dodgers’ win over Arizona
PHOENIX — One pitch. One swing. One pure, unmistakable sound. On a night the roof was open, the air was hot and the Dodgers were engaged in…
Roki Sasaki delivers solid six innings, but Dodgers fall to Rangers
ARLINGTON, Tex. — Roki Sasaki will have to keep waiting for his first Major League Baseball victory.Despite his season-long six-inning, two-run start against the Texas Rangers on…
Roki Sasaki takes a step forward, Dodgers’ offense slides in loss
This is Roki Sasaki’s home now. The San Gabriel Mountains at his back as he stands atop the mound at Dodger Stadium. Stands filled with…
Roki Sasaki isn’t an instant star. The Dodgers don’t need him to be
Roki Sasaki chose right when he signed with the Dodgers.Never mind not being ready to lead the rotation of another team and challenge Shohei Ohtani.…
Photos: Dodger Blue takes over Tokyo during season-opening series
TOKYO — The Dodgers have transformed into Japan’s MLB team after signing Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki the last two seasons. All the glitz of…
How did Roki Sasaki look during his Dodgers debut against Cubs?
TOKYO — It lasted just three innings. It included a grand total of 56 pitches. It ended barely an hour after it first began.But was it ever…
Why Roki Sasaki’s bond with Rikuzentakata endures after 2011 tsunami
RIKUZENTAKATA, Japan — Other than the concrete skeletal remains of a three-story office supply store, there was nothing on the expansive field.Just acres and acres of dried…
Dodgers hope Tokyo Series trip ‘galvanizes’ team chemistry
TOKYO — It was the overriding theme of last October, an intangible factor that yielded triumphant results.During their run to last year’s World Series, the Dodgers repeatedly…
Why the Dodgers don’t need Shohei Ohtani to pitch to start the season
If there was one big surprise this spring, it was the Dodgers’ decision to have Shohei Ohtani “slow-play” his pitching program over the second half…
Roki Sasaki’s first official Dodgers outing is a rousing success
PHOENIX — It all came as advertised.The 99-mph heat. The late-diving, hard-biting splitter. The overwhelming, if still raw, stuff that many expect will make him a future…