Sasaki, meanwhile, is the story the Dodgers can't shake. He's at 1-3 with a 5.97 ERA and has publicly said he'd accept a minor-league assignment if the team wants it. His best outing of the year — a 6-inning quality start in St. Louis on May 2 — still came in a 3-2 Dodgers loss during a 4-game skid. The fastball plays at 96.9 mph, the command does not, and now he's been pushed to the series opener on 8 days rest after Blake Snell's surprise early return reshuffled the rotation.
Pinnacle still has the Dodgers at -180 because the Dodgers are the Dodgers and they're 13-8 at home. But this is the version of LA that just scratched out 4 runs total in 2 weekend losses to the Braves, and Mookie Betts is only just expected back from the oblique IL for this series. The market is pricing Sasaki's name, not Sasaki's results.
The injury column is where it gets ugly for San Francisco. Webb, Harrison Bader (hamstring), Jared Oliva, and a bullpen graveyard headlined by Hayden Birdsong (UCL surgery), Randy Rodriguez, Jason Foley, and Erik Miller. If McDonald gives them 6, great. If he gives them 4, manager has to start mixing and matching with the guys who are actually healthy, and that's where a Dodgers offense — even a sputtering one — can put a game away in a hurry.
- 10-Day-ILDaniel Susac (C) — Susac (elbow) went 2-for-4 in Triple-A Sacramento's 2-1 loss to Reno on Friday.05/10
- 10-Day-ILHarrison Bader (CF) — Bader (hamstring) went 1-for-3 in Triple-A Sacramento's 4-0 loss to Reno on Tuesday.05/08
- 15-Day-ILLogan Webb (SP) — The Giants placed Webb on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to right knee bursitis, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.05/09
- 15-Day-ILErik Miller (RP) — Miller (back) will throw a bullpen session Thursday before beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJared Oliva (CF) — The Giants transferred Oliva (wrist) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILRowan Wick (RP) — The Giants placed Wick (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILHayden Birdsong (RP) — Birdsong underwent successful UCL reconstruction surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILReiver Sanmartin (RP) — The Giants placed Sanmartin (hip) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJason Foley (RP) — Foley (shoulder) is throwing live batting practice Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILRandy Rodriguez (RP) — The Giants placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJose Butto (RP) — The Giants transferred Butto (arm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
- 10-Day-ILMookie Betts (SS) — Betts (oblique) will travel back to Los Angeles on Sunday and could be activated from the 10-day injured list Monday ahead of the Dodgers' four-game home series against the Giants, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.05/10
- 15-Day-ILBen Casparius (RP) — Casparius (shoulder) has been throwing at the Dodgers' complex in Arizona, per MLB.com.05/10
- 15-Day-ILBrock Stewart (RP) — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Saturday that he expects Stewart (foot) will be on the 15-day injured list for approximately three weeks, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.05/10
- 15-Day-ILTyler Glasnow (SP) — no05/09
- 15-Day-ILBrusdar Graterol (RP) — Graterol (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday, Triple-A Oklahoma City broadcaster Alex Freedman reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILEdwin Diaz (RP) — no05/10
- 60-Day-ILTommy Edman (2B) — The Dodgers transferred Edman (ankle) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.05/09
- 60-Day-ILLandon Knack (SP) — The Dodgers transferred Knack (chest) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILEvan Phillips (RP) — Phillips (elbow) threw a bullpen session to a squatting catcher March 17, per MLB.com.05/08
- 60-Day-ILGavin Stone (SP) — Stone (shoulder) has resumed throwing, per MLB.com.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJake Cousins (RP) — The Dodgers transferred Cousins (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILEnrique Hernandez (1B) — Hernandez (elbow) will kick of a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILBobby Miller (SP) — The Dodgers placed Miller (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Monday.05/08
Heliot Ramos (team-leading 18 RBIs) and a Giants lineup that has to manufacture against a guy who can't find the zone is a decent pre-game recipe. Take the under (9.5, -115) seriously if you trust McDonald's command and don't trust Sasaki to go 5. The Giants -127 run line is the cleaner number on the board for a team that should be sitting on every fastball Sasaki misses with.
First pitch is 9:10 PM PT from Chavez Ravine. It's the opener of a 4-game set with the Giants already up 2-1 in the season series. If McDonald is the real version of what he showed in San Diego, the Dodgers have a problem that doesn't end on Monday night.