Dodgers News Recap: September 23, 2026
Published: September 23, 2026 7:00 AM UTC
This article was generated by artificial intelligence and is automatically updated as news breaks. All credit belongs to the original reporters and their publications.
The Dodgers are in full October mode now. Shohei Ohtani is returning Wednesday, Roki Sasaki is activated and ready to pitch, and we just blanked San Diego in a bullpen game with five games left to play. The magic number is one. Everything we’ve been building toward is happening right now.
Ohtani Expected Back Wednesday vs. Padres
CONFIRMEDShohei Ohtani will return from the injured list Wednesday in the series opener against San Diego, per Katie Woo at The New York Times and staff at the Los Angeles Times. His recovery from right biceps inflammation and left knee issues has progressed through Trajekt machine work, base running, and full practice activity, positioning him to rejoin without extended ramp-up periods. The organization is planning to deploy him in the leadoff spot, with Mookie Betts available as an alternative if needed.
For Ohtani personally, this timing validates the entire recovery protocol. He’s had the right amount of time to heal without losing competitive sharpness. Returning Wednesday gives him five regular season games to build timing and rhythm before October arrives—far more realistic than showing up cold for the postseason. This is championship-caliber organizational planning.
For us, Ohtani’s return completes our offensive infrastructure. We have Mookie Betts performing at elite levels, Kyle Tucker delivering consistent production, and Freddie Freeman providing stability. Add Ohtani back at leadoff with his combination of on-base ability and power, and we’re entering October with exactly the kind of multi-dimensional firepower that postseason baseball demands. The final five games are our window to get sharp.
Source(s): Katie Woo (The New York Times), staff (Los Angeles Times) | First reported: September 23, 5:49 AM
Sasaki Activated Off IL, Positioned in Bullpen Role
CONFIRMEDRoki Sasaki was activated off the 15-day injured list after progressing through a careful recovery from a blister on his right middle finger, per staff at Dodger Blue. The organization has repositioned him as a bullpen arm rather than attempting to return him to rotation duty with limited time remaining. Emmet Sheehan was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City following his solid recall work—5.1 innings, one hit, nine strikeouts against San Francisco.
For Sasaki personally, activation validates that the medical staff’s conservative approach worked exactly as planned. Being cleared to pitch meaningfully from the bullpen without needing traditional starter workload reduces mechanical pressure and allows him to accumulate high-leverage innings. This positions him as a significant October asset.
For the Dodgers, this move makes complete sense. We have our rotation anchors locked in with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Tarik Skubal, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Deploying Sasaki as a high-leverage bullpen arm provides exactly the kind of versatile depth that championship organizations need. He can contribute multiple innings in relief situations if postseason competition demands unconventional pitching deployment. His return strengthens our October infrastructure significantly.
Source(s): staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: September 22, 5:53 PM
Pages, Rushing Return; Final Roster Competition Intensifies
CONFIRMEDAndy Pages was activated off the 10-day injured list following his recovery from a hand fracture, with Eliezer Alfonzo optioned to Triple-A, per staff at Dodger Blue and MLB.com. Pages returns without requiring a rehab assignment, validating that his hand has healed sufficiently for competitive baseball. Dalton Rushing is expected to receive playing time during the final week to audition for a postseason roster spot after limited action over the past seven weeks due to a right elbow injury, per staff at the Los Angeles Times.
For Pages personally, returning without a rehab assignment demonstrates organizational trust in his readiness. Hand injuries create particular challenges for position players—grip and swing mechanics depend on proper function—so his activation suggests the medical staff is confident he’s ready. He adds defensive depth that this team values heading into October.
For Rushing, this final week represents his best chance to prove he’s ready for postseason deployment despite extended injury absence. Playing just four games over seven weeks creates a steep climb, but competitive baseball in high-pressure situations is the only real evaluation method. For the Dodgers, having Will Smith as our primary catcher with depth options like Rushing available validates that we’re building October rosters with attention to detail and contingency planning at every position.
Source(s): staff (Dodger Blue), staff (MLB.com), staff (Los Angeles Times) | First reported: September 22, 6:05 PM
De Paula Pushing to Prove Defense, Earns Texas League Honor
CONFIRMEDJosue De Paula publicly committed to improving defensively during the final week of the regular season, stating his intention to “shut a lot of people up” about his left field work, per Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic. Separately, De Paula was named Texas League Player of the Year for his 2026 minor league season, part of a six-award haul for the Tulsa Drillers organization that also included honors for Mike Sirota, Zyhir Hope, Jake Gelof, and Nick Robertson, plus Manager of the Year for Eric Wedge, per staff at Dodger Blue.
For De Paula personally, the Texas League Player of the Year award validates his overall development trajectory within our minor league system. It’s external recognition of talent and competitive value at precisely the moment he’s working to prove skeptics wrong about his defense. This kind of professional achievement reinforces confidence heading into October audition situations.
But De Paula understands that the award alone doesn’t secure October availability. We have sufficient offensive depth that his bat doesn’t guarantee a playoff roster spot—he needs to execute defensively with consistency. His public acknowledgment of the criticism and commitment to improvement reflects the kind of competitive self-awareness championship organizations require. For the Dodgers, De Paula’s defensive push and the broader recognition across our Tulsa affiliate validates that our minor league development system continues producing championship-caliber talent systematically. That’s how we build sustained excellence.
Source(s): Fabian Ardaya (The Athletic), staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: September 22, 12:00 PM
Sirota Stars in OKC Playoff Action
CONFIRMEDMike Sirota is delivering strong performances in Triple-A playoff action as the Oklahoma City Comets continue their postseason push, per staff at MLB.com. Sirota’s playoff performance validates the organizational confidence in his development trajectory and demonstrates that the Dodgers’ minor league prospect pipeline continues producing competitive baseball even while the major league roster prepares for October.
For Sirota personally, starring in playoff action demonstrates that his development has positioned him as a ready contributor capable of competing meaningfully in high-stakes situations. Playoff baseball demands execution under pressure, and his strong performance suggests he’s responding well to the elevated competitive environment.
For the Dodgers, this validates that we’re building organizational depth throughout multiple levels simultaneously. While our major league roster clinches division titles and prepares for postseason competition, our minor league affiliates continue developing prospects like Sirota who are ready for competitive contribution. This layered approach—major league playoff positioning combined with active minor league development—represents exactly how championship organizations build sustained excellence across time.
Source(s): staff (MLB.com) | First reported: September 23, 2:21 AM
Dodgers Blank Padres in Final Home Series Opener
CONFIRMEDThe Dodgers shut out the San Diego Padres in a bullpen game to open their final home series, extending their impressive run to 15 wins in their last 18 games, per staff at Dodger Blue. The victory pushes the magic number down to just one with five games remaining—a single win clinches the National League’s top seed for October baseball.
Executing a bullpen game successfully against a division rival demonstrates that our pitching infrastructure extends far beyond our primary rotation anchors. This is exactly what postseason baseball demands—the ability to deploy multiple arms across extended innings while maintaining competitive execution. With Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Tarik Skubal, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto anchoring the rotation, having complementary arms capable of combining to deliver shutout performances validates every organizational investment in multi-inning bullpen flexibility.
For the Dodgers, blanking San Diego in the final home series opener carries significant organizational meaning. We’re positioned for October baseball through disciplined late-season performance. Winning 15 of our last 18 games demonstrates consistent execution when it matters most. The magic number sitting at just one with five games remaining gives us maximum leverage to clinch the division and secure top seeding before October arrives. We’re rounding into peak form exactly when the season demands it.
Source(s): staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: September 23, 4:50 AM
God Bless and Go Dodgers
Leave a Reply