New Roki Sasaki injury raises playoff concerns the Dodgers can’t ignore

After some turbulence earlier this summer, with a bullpen that couldn’t hold a late lead, and a rotation that couldn’t get healthy, it seemed like the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ pitching plan was finally coming together. Tyler Glasnow was back from the IL, and Shohei Ohtani was on the mend as well, putting the fully operational battle station into place for the first time since acquiring Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline.

So naturally, just days before Ohtani was set to make his return to the mound, another injury struck — this time to Roki Sasaki, who left his start against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night with what appeared to be a blister issue.

The team has yet to make any sort of announcement regarding Sasaki’s status, but given how intently the training staff was working on his finger grip — and the fact that this is something the righty has dealt with in the past — it seems pretty safe to assume that’s what’s wrong.

Which, in the short term, isn’t such a big deal. Again, Ohtani (and Justin Wrobleski) are almost back, Glasnow and Blake Snell are newly healthy and there’s other depth behind them to weather the storm in the rotation. But the Dodgers aren’t concerned with the short term; they’re concerned. with October, and looking ahead, this has the potential to derail the team’s best-laid postseason plans.

Projected Dodgers rotation if Roki Sasaki misses time

*with Justin Wrobleski as a piggyback

Again: Don’t cry for the Dodgers rotation. If Sasaki is forced to spend some time on the IL to get his blister calmed down — and it’s worth remembering that, while it may sound minor, blisters can really affect a pitcher and really be tricky to get under control — Los Angeles is better equipped to backfill his spot than they have been all year.

Skubal is settling into life in L.A. rather nicely. Glasnow is officially back from a lengthy stint on the IL with a back issue. Snell is his Cy Young self again after a (very) delayed start to the season, and Ohtani is a true game-changer even if the team pairs him with lefty Wrobleski to help ease the strain on both pitchers. Add in proven big-game ace Yoshinobuy Yamamoto, and you’ve got yourself a staff that could well have the advantage every single night come October.

But the reality is that Sasaki never figured into the Dodgers’ postseason plans as a starting pitcher; the Skubal trade made sure of that. Barring a rash of injuries, he was never going to take priority over two-time Cy Young winners in Skubal and Snell plus two righties with massive stuff and proven pedigrees in Glasnow and Ohtani. Where he very much did figure into the plan was right where he was last fall: in the bullpen. That’s a place where the Dodgers can’t afford to lose him, which makes this blister issue very much worth monitoring.

Why Roki Sasaki blister injury could be devastating to Dodgers in October

Again, we know from experience that blisters are something that can linger, flaring up again and again as a pitcher’s grip puts pressure on the same part of their hand repeatedly. Sasaki’s dealt with this problem before, with blood visible on his finger during last year’s NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies.

It didn’t affect him too much in that series, nor in the postseason as whole, giving up just one earned run over 10.2 innings of work. But it could well affect him this time around, and if the Dodgers can’t help him get a handle on it, there’s no way of knowing whether it might flare up at the worst possible time come October. Given how uncertain the rest of the back of this bullpen is with Edwin Diaz back on the IL, that’s something L.A. can ill afford.