The Dodgers just got a massive shot in the arm, bringing back All-Star center fielder Andy Pages and pitcher Roki Sasaki from the injured list on Tuesday. This is huge, hitting right when teams are gearing up for the final week of the regular season and that insane October run. They also optioned Emmet Sheehan and catcher Eliezer Alfonzo to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday, making room for these two studs.
Pages’ Return Means Instant Offense and Gold Glove Defense
Pages has been absolutely crushing it this season, a real standout, even getting named an All-Star starter. He missed 27 games after a fastball got him on the left hand back on August 21. When he went down, the guy was tied with Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the second-highest FanGraphs WAR (3.9) on the whole team, with only Shohei Ohtani ahead of him. Even with the time off, his Baseball Reference WAR is still at a phenomenal 5.4, trailing only Ohtani and Yamamoto. That’s the kind of production you get with a .272/.338/.458 batting line and a 118 wRC+, not to mention his seriously plus-defense out in center field. Before that errant fastball took him out, Pages had started 125 of the Dodgers’ 129 games and was leading the team with 550 plate appearances. Oh, and he’s still tied with Ohtani for the team lead with 80 runs batted in! They absolutely had to juggle the outfield in his absence, running out Alek Thomas for six starts, Tommy Edman for 17, plus a few from Alex Call and Kiké Hernández. Edman moving to the outfield even meant Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland had to cover most of the starts at second base in September. Talk about feeling his absence!
Sasaki’s Bullpen Role Is Back, And It’s What The Dodgers Need
Pitcher Roki Sasaki is back too, after leaving a start in Atlanta with a blister on his right middle finger five days after Pages got hit. Sasaki had a bit of a bumpy start to the season, but he really found his stride as the year went on. He was on fire with six straight starts allowing no more than two runs before that blister sidelined him. His overall ERA is 4.46 with a 4.42 xERA, but since July 8, he’s been a beast, posting a 3.25 ERA and 3.76 xERA across eight starts. With Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow likely locking down the postseason rotation, and Blake Snell’s left groin discomfort a real concern, Sasaki’s role looks set: he’s heading to the bullpen, just like last postseason. Manager Dave Roberts made it clear, saying, “I could see multiples [innings], but it’s not going to be bulk as in four or five innings.” Last season, he struggled as a starter and was on the IL for four months, only to return in the final week and pitch in relief for October. He wasn’t lighting up the radar gun with Ks then, only six strikeouts in 43 batters faced with five walks, but he was incredibly effective, letting up just one run over nine appearances and 10 2/3 innings. That’s clutch.
The Dodgers are getting Pages’ incredible bat and glove back for the final sprint, plus a re-energized Sasaki arm to fortify their bullpen just as October baseball kicks off. This is precisely the kind of reinforcement that can make all the difference when every game means everything.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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