Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki will head to the injured list due to a middle finger blister following a start against the Atlanta Braves. Meanwhile, teammate Blake Snell dealt with left groin tightness in Cincinnati, and club owners sold their Chelsea F.C. stakes.
The Los Angeles Dodgers faced a busy stretch on and off the field as manager Dave Roberts managed rotation disruptions, roster adjustments, and major sports ownership shifts. The team fell 6-5 to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday evening, dropping their record to 80-53 on the year, according to the Yahoo Sports roundup. Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman, and Teoscar Hernández each recorded two-hit games for Los Angeles, while Ha-Seong Kim drove in the walk-off single off reliever Tanner Scott.
Roki Sasaki Lands on Injured List With Finger Blister
Beyond the final score, the Dodgers absorbed a significant rotation blow when second-year right-hander Roki Sasaki exited Wednesday’s game early. Sasaki struck out three batters across 3.1 innings while allowing four earned runs, two walks, and six hits. The club later announced he was forced out by a blister on his middle finger.
Hours after the loss, Dave Roberts confirmed that the severity of the issue necessitates a stint on the injured list, with Eric Lauer stepping into the rotation opening. There’s just no way we can avoid it given the severity of the blister,
Roberts said, as reported by Yahoo Sports. So we’ll give him some time. But we can cover it up actually to keep his arm moving.
Sasaki had previously been sidelined since August 27 due to a blister on his middle finger.
Blake Snell Exits Cincinnati Start With Groin Tightness
Rotation concerns extended beyond Sasaki when two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell left a start in Cincinnati after just one inning. The team announced the departure stemmed from left groin tightness, though the removal was handled as a precaution.
Snell told reporters that the tightness flared up during pre-game warm-ups and did not loosen during the first frame. Having missed time in 2024 with the San Francisco Giants due to groin strains, the veteran left-hander expressed confidence that the current issue is not as severe, stating an expectation to pitch again before the end of the regular season.
The Dodgers have wrapped up the NL West and stand 3.5 games clear of the Braves for the first-round bye heading into the postseason slated to begin October 3. Snell has logged 38 2/3 regular-season innings this year, having previously missed time due to shoulder fatigue and a NanoNeedle procedure for loose bodies in his elbow.
Mark Walter and Todd Boehly Divest Chelsea F.C. Stakes
In Dodgers-adjacent business news, team stakeholders Mark Walter and Todd Boehly officially sold their ownership shares in English Premier League club Chelsea F.C. Each had held a nearly 13% stake in the franchise.
The Financial Times reported that the pair sold their combined shares for approximately £950M, translating to roughly $1.27 billion, to Clearlake Capital. Feliciano. The transaction follows Walter’s recent sale of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, while separate insurance holdings linked to him face scrutiny. Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten stated in August that club ownership maintains no plans to sell the baseball franchise and dismissed suggestions that cash flow complications would restrict team payroll.
Roster Maneuvers Ahead of Weekend Series
To navigate ongoing pitching staff absences, the Dodgers planned a tandem start for their series finale at Great American Ball Park featuring Justin Wrobleski and Landon Knack, according to Dave Roberts. Knack was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, with Bobby Miller optioned down.
Management has not finalized weekend rotation pairings for the upcoming series in San Francisco, though Tyler Glasnow, Tarik Skubal, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto remain available to pitch on regular turn if the club maintains its current schedule.
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