His transformation's a closing statement

After early injury, Sasaki rediscovers confidence, brings stability to Dodgers bullpen thin on relief

- Jack Harris

ROKI SASAKI regained his velocity in the minors before rejoining the Dodgers.

Thirty-one days ago, Roki Sasaki arrived at Dodger Stadium, met with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes, and was presented a plan that required faith and trust.

It had been eight months since Sasaki signed with the Dodgers amid massive expectations, coming over from Japan as a 23-year-old phenom billed as possessing some of the best raw arm talent in the world.

It had been four months since his debut season took a dismal turn, landing on the injured list with a shoulder impingement following an opening month marred by poor performance and diminished stuff.

Less than two weeks earlier, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had all but written Sasaki off as a potential factor in the team's postseason plans, after the pitcher had continued to struggle in a minor-league rehab stint.

But then, two days before his meeting with club brass, Sasaki had finally shown some signs of life, striking out eight batters during an auspicious start with triple-A Oklahoma City in which his fastball once again touched 100 mph and his trademark splitter was almost unhittable.

So, as the team began looking ahead to October, Friedman and Gomes sat Sasaki down alongside his interpreter, and presented what has proven to be a season-altering idea - for him, and his new team.

The Dodgers knew Sasaki was unlikely to feature as a starting pitcher in October, given their healthy and dominant rotation. But they saw an opportunity to use him as a reliever in the playoffs.

Only, however, if he was also open to it.