The Dodgers cannot catch a break with their pitching staff. Roki Sasaki is heading to the 15 day injured list with a blister on his right middle finger, adding another name to a rotation that already has too many injury updates.
Blisters sound minor. They are not. For a pitcher with Sasaki’s arsenal, a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand affects everything. He grips his splitter with that finger. He gets his rotation on the four seamer with that finger. There is no half throwing through a blister that fresh.
The Dodgers are in a strange spot right now. Their record is still elite and their lineup is still terrifying. But the pitching staff has become a game of injury whack a mole for Dave Roberts and Andrew Friedman. Shohei Ohtani has been off the mound since July 3. Sasaki now goes on the IL. Other starters have been shuttled in and out.
Here is the fair read. This staff is deep enough to survive August. LA has enough back end starters and enough bullpen arms to grind out wins for two weeks while Sasaki heals. What matters is the state of the rotation on October 1. The Dodgers need Sasaki healthy for the postseason more than they need him for a September game against the Rockies.
The good news for Los Angeles is that a blister is a short term problem. Two weeks of rest, some skin conditioning, and Sasaki should be back throwing without limitation. There is no ligament tear. There is no oblique strain. This is a manageable IL trip.
The bad news is that Sasaki has been the Dodgers most consistent rotation piece this year outside of Ohtani. His stuff has been electric and his command has grown. Losing him for even two starts hurts.
Roberts is going to lean on his bullpen more, use openers a couple of times, and probably reach for a Triple A arm to bridge one start. Standard playoff hopeful management.
Sasaki will be back well before October. Pencil him in for a September 12 return. That gives LA plenty of time to rebuild his workload for the playoffs.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
