Roki Sasaki's role draws attention! Renowned analyst: I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a closer.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' "Reiwa Monster" Roki Sasaki, who was out since May due to "Right Shoulder Impingement Syndrome," made his major league comeback on the 25th as a relief pitcher. The official MLB program, MLB Network, also discussed his future role, with analyst Tom Verducci stating, "I wouldn’t be surprised if Roki Sasaki becomes a closer."

On the 25th, Sasaki made his major league relief debut, pitching a perfect three-up, three-down inning with two strikeouts. His average velocity reached 99 mph (approximately 159.6 km/h), with a peak of 99.8 mph (about 160.6 km/h). Given the Dodgers' bullpen struggles, his prospects are widely regarded as very promising.

MLB Network held a discussion yesterday about how to deploy Sasaki, with Tom Verducci suggesting that Sasaki could be the bullpen’s "new solution," and that it wouldn’t be surprising if he ended up as the closer.

Verducci further analyzed, "Sasaki possesses the pitching power that Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen lack, which is a crucial trait for a closer. He reached 100 mph during his relief appearances in Triple-A, so the Dodgers assigning him as a reliever in the minors was intentional. I don’t think Scott is currently a suitable closer candidate."

In yesterday’s game, Sasaki pitched a perfect top of the 7th inning, but after he left, other Dodgers relievers gave up three runs in the 8th inning, allowing the opponents to tie the game. This highlights the urgent need for the Dodgers to restructure their bullpen before the playoffs. Tom Verducci believes Sasaki remains a potential ace option for the Dodgers' bullpen.

Regarding playoff usage, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted, "It’s still hard to predict how we’ll use him once the playoffs start. His next appearance will be in a situation with no runners on base, and we’ll make a final decision based on that performance."