The Dodgers and Mariners are down to one game to settle their three-game set Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, and Los Angeles will have to do it without Shohei Ohtani in the lineup.
Seattle grabbed the opener Tuesday, 7-6, in a wild one that ended with the tying and winning runs in scoring position when Mookie Betts grounded out. The Dodgers answered Wednesday with a 4-2 win, getting six shutout innings from left-hander Eric Lauer in what could wind up being his final start with the trade deadline approaching.
Now both clubs head into their last three games this weekend before Monday’s deadline with the series on the line.
Ohtani is out while he continues recovering from knee and biceps injuries.
On the mound for Los Angeles is right-hander Roki Sasaki, who has been rolling since the All-Star break. He’s made two starts in the second half, given up one earned run over 12.2 innings, and posted a 0.71 ERA. The fastball has ticked up, too, and he’s piled up 37 swings-and-misses across those two outings.
“I do think where he is at mechanically now, he isn’t thinking about that when he is on the mound. He is in compete mode.
His delivery is in repeat mode," manager Dave Roberts said last week. "It doesn’t seem like he is searching anymore.
He is just trying to execute a gameplan."
For the season, Sasaki owns a 4.71 ERA with 94 strikeouts and 36 walks across 93.2 innings.
The Mariners will counter with right-hander Bryan Woo, who comes in with a 4.37 ERA, 114 strikeouts and 24 walks over 115.1 innings. It’s been a rougher season for Woo, an All-Star in 2025 who had finished each of the previous two seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA.
First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m.
ET on Thursday, July 30. The game will air on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app, with MLB Network also carrying the broadcast.
On radio, it will be on AM570 in English and KTNQ 1020 AM in Spanish.
In Other News...
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For Seattle, that matters because the Mariners are still in the mix and may have reason to keep watching the Angels roster for help. If one division rival just accepted a lighter package for established big-league pieces, it can change the market for anyone else trying to pry away pitching, catching, or a useful bat from Anaheim, and the names that could come up from there are the sort that would shape the rest of the deadline conversation in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Shohei Ohtani Suddenly Out Against Mariners And Fans Want Answers
Shohei Ohtani being out of the Dodgers lineup for Thursday night against the Mariners is the sort of late-breaking change that always gets attention, especially when Seattle is trying to track one of the sports biggest stars in a series that already had plenty of juice. Ohtani has still been serving as Los Angeles designated hitter even while dealing with injury-related concerns, and the Dodgers have been careful about how they manage his workload since he stopped pitching in early July.
The bigger question around Ohtani now is how much of this is a one-night rest situation and how much it reflects the broader physical maintenance the Dodgers have been navigating behind the scenes. Manager Dave Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman have both pointed to the same issue as the main reason he has not been on the mound, while also leaving open the possibility of a later-season return to pitching, which keeps every update on his status relevant for a Mariners club that may see him again before long. [Read more 🡒]