Roki Sasaki heads to the IL as Dodgers rotation absorbs another loss, with Shohei Ohtani among the questions

The Los Angeles Dodgers received another rotation blow on Wednesday night when right-hander Roki Sasaki exited with what was described as a blister, a development that will send him to the 15-day injured list, manager Dave Roberts announced after the game. The decision adds to a season in which Los Angeles has repeatedly had to adjust on the fly, both in starting pitching and in the short-term availability of key bullpen arms.

The injury came the same night the Dodgers suffered a walk-off loss to the Atlanta Braves, 6-5. Ha-Seong Kim delivered the late finishing play for Atlanta, capping a game in which Los Angeles trailed but still managed to force a close finish. For the Dodgers, the setback was more than a single result, because it arrived at the same time as a concrete, roster-impacting injury to a high-leverage starter.

Sasaki’s designation to the 15-day IL matters because it removes him from the rotation at a time when every turn of the order can shape matchups against playoff-caliber opponents. A blister is not the type of injury teams can simply manage through workload without risk, especially for pitchers whose grip and command depend on consistent ball feel and stable mechanics.

Roberts’ comment also raises the practical question of what Los Angeles does next in the rotation. The CBS report frames the situation as an open roster question tied to Shohei Ohtani’s role, with speculation around whether he could be used to fill an immediate gap. Because this story is focused on the IL placement, any longer-term answer about rotation structure will depend on the Dodgers’ subsequent internal plan and how they want to manage star workload across the remaining late-season stretch.

From a broader standpoint, the Dodgers’ pitching depth will be tested in the window after Sasaki’s IL move. When a starter goes down, teams typically rely on spot starts, extra innings from the bullpen, and tighter management of leverage relievers. Even if the Dodgers are able to cover innings in the short term, the sequencing of starts and rest can ripple across multiple weeks, affecting who is freshest for the games that matter most.

For Atlanta, the walk-off win also underlined the urgency of clean late-game execution against Los Angeles. A one-run game can flip quickly when momentum shifts, and Kim’s finish ensured the Braves avoided a longer, more stable “next inning” scenario that might have allowed the Dodgers to settle into a more comfortable bullpen rhythm.

What to watch next is whether the Dodgers confirm who will replace Sasaki for his next scheduled start, how they order the rotation around Ohtani’s usage, and whether the team indicates any limits on pitching workload in the coming series. Another key detail will be monitoring the nature of Sasaki’s blister and whether his timeline progresses without setbacks once he begins recovery and treatment.

Overall, the Dodgers now face a familiar late-season reality: staying competitive while absorbing pitching uncertainty. With Sasaki on the IL and a walk-off loss already adding frustration, Los Angeles’ next rotation alignment and bullpen stretch decisions will carry extra weight in the days ahead.