Dodgers’ Reliever Joins Team in Philadelphia Hinting at Potential Injury

Gabe Smallson | Apr 5, 2025

Mar 16, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Matt Sauer (64) throws a pitch against the Hanshin Tigers during the fifth inning at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers are welcoming right-handed reliever Matt Sauer back to the team ahead of their matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies, per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.

This move insinuates that he is replacing a potentially injured pitcher on the roster as he traveled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to be with the team in the middle of their road trip and is not on the 26-man roster.

Matt Sauer is here in Philadelphia.

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 5, 2025

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With the recent Freddie Freeman news that he is hitting the injured list with his ankle re-injury, the roster is somewhat in flux.

Catcher Hunter Feduccia was already on the 40-man roster and able to take his place after a pretty productive 2025 so far. He is also a left-handed batter so the move makes more sense than this Sauer addition.

With the right-hander coming to Philadelphia, this means that a roster move is potentially imminent by way of another pitcher landing on the injured list or being designated for assignment.

Passed Matt Sauer on his way to the #Dodgers clubhouse. We might be getting a roster move today

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) April 5, 2025

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The Dodgers are no strangers to pitching injuries as they currently have seven pitchers on the 60-day injured list with another four on the 15-day IL.

Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Emmett Sheehan, Kyle Hurt, Clayton Kershaw, Brusdar Graterol, and Michael Grove are all on the 60-day injured list.

Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, Edgardo Henriquez, and Tony Gonsolin are all on the 15-day list.

The last that the Dodgers saw of Sauer was in the Tokyo Series as he earned a spot to travel to Japan with the team along with a $70,000 check upon making the team for the opening series.

Sauer didn't play in the regular season games, but got some action in an exhibition game and was able to represent for his mother who is from Okinawa, Japan and hadn't been back for quite some time.

Matt Sauer said he was understandably quite surprised when Dave Roberts told him.

He’s planning on getting his mom, Tammy, to Tokyo as part of the trip. Tammy was born in Okinawa and hasn’t been back since she was young. https://t.co/RUy7l3OC5d

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 8, 2025

Sauer has come a long way since he was shockingly told he would be headed to Japan, but once again he is traveling with the Dodgers and some degree of surprise surrounding the move.

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For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.