Turning to Sasaki shows the Dodgers have no alternative

Bullpen problems are so bad, they're considering rookie for postseason role

- DYLAN HERNÁNDEZ COLUMNIST

ROKI SASAKI hasn't pitched in the majors since May and has a 4.72 ERA in his eight starts.

(GINA FERAZZI Los Angeles Times)

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 hasn't pitched in a major league game in more than four months because of shoulder problems.

The same Roki Sasaki who posted a 4.72 earned-run average in eight starts.

The same Roki Sasaki who last week in the minors pitched as a reliever for the first time.

The Dodgers’ exploration of Sasaki as a late-inning option is a reflection of the 23-year-old rookie’s upside, but this isn’t a commentary of Sasaki as much as it is of the roster.

The team’s bullpen problems have persisted into the final week of the regular season, and the potential solutions sound like miracles, starting with Sasaki’s audition for a postseason role as a reliever.

Sasaki pitched twice in relief for triple-A Oklahoma City, touching 100 mph in a scoreless inning on Thursday and retiring the side on Sunday.

Manager Dave Roberts said Sasaki would rejoin the Dodgers for their upcoming road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The earliest Sasaki would be available to pitch would be on Wednesday.