It feels like Matt Sauer has been bouncing up and down between the minors and majors all season. And here we are again — he just got called back up to the Dodgers for the fifth time this year. With all the injuries piling up in their pitching rotation, the team really didn’t have much choice. Guys like Gonsolin, Glasnow, Sheehan — all out. So they needed someone who could give them innings, and Sauer was that guy.
The Dodgers brought him in ahead of their game against the Padres, and I guess you could say they were hoping for something solid — maybe not perfect, but enough to get through the game without overworking the bullpen. And sure, Sauer's had some decent showings this season — his ERA before this game was actually sitting around 3.05, which isn’t bad at all. He’s been pretty steady when they’ve used him in short stints. But this game? Yeah, not his best.
He ended up throwing over 100 pitches, which is kind of rare these days, especially for a guy not in the rotation full-time. But that just shows how desperate the Dodgers were to keep their relievers from getting burned out. Unfortunately, Sauer gave up nine runs on 13 hits in just under five innings. That’s the kind of line that’ll mess with your ERA, big time. His ERA jumped up to over 5.60 after that outing.
But you know what? It wasn’t just about the numbers. The Dodgers were clearly hoping he’d just help them survive the night, and in a way, he did. He gave them length, even if it came at a cost.
Taking the Hits So the Bullpen Didn’t Have To
There’s always more to these games than just the score or the box line. This one was ugly, no doubt about it. San Diego was hitting everything. From the second inning on, it just felt like the Padres had his number. Walks, doubles, home runs — they were finding every hole and every gap. And by the time the fifth inning came around, the Dodgers had basically waved the white flag. They even brought in Enrique Hernández to pitch the end of the game — that’s how out of hand it got.
But here’s the thing: Sauer staying in that long? That wasn’t about trying to win anymore. That was about saving the bullpen. Roberts said it after the game — they needed someone to take the bulk of it, and Sauer did that. He wore it. You could tell he didn’t want to be pulled, even when it got rough. That kind of attitude matters in the clubhouse, even if fans only see the scoreline.
Sure, some fans online were frustrated. They were like, “Why leave him in so long?” But when you think about it, it makes sense. The Dodgers have a long season ahead. You can’t gas your relievers every time a starter goes down early, especially when half your rotation is already on the injured list. So yeah, Sauer’s numbers took a hit, but he gave the team what they needed — a chance to reset the bullpen for the next game.
And look, maybe this outing doesn’t help his case for staying on the active roster long-term. But it does show that the team trusts him to step up when things get rough. That counts for something.
A Season Full of Call-Ups and Uncertainty for Sauer
Matt Sauer’s 2024 season has been a rollercoaster, no other way to put it. He’s been shuffled between Triple-A and the big league roster so many times, it’s probably hard for him to even unpack his bags at this point. And it’s not because he’s doing terribly overall — in fact, before this outing against the Padres, he had shown flashes of solid potential. But the Dodgers' rotation is in such a weird place right now, with so many injuries and last-minute changes, that consistency just hasn’t been on the table for him.
One week he’s in Oklahoma City, the next he’s back in L.A., and then — just like that — he’s back down again. It’s got to be tough mentally, not knowing when your next start will come or whether you’re staying for a week or a day. And that plays into how you pitch, too. When you’re constantly on edge about proving yourself, it’s easy to press a little too hard. That might’ve been what happened in this latest outing. Maybe he was trying to do too much, especially knowing he was filling in with some of the team’s top arms out.
Sauer isn’t some big-name prospect with guaranteed innings. He’s working for every chance he gets, and that shows. You can see the effort, even if the results don’t always follow. He’s got good stuff — a fastball that can touch the mid-90s, a pretty sharp slider — but command has been an issue off and on. And when a team like San Diego is locked in, you can’t miss spots.
Honestly, it’s hard not to root for a guy like Sauer. He’s not flashy, he’s not trying to be the next Clayton Kershaw. He just wants to be useful, to have a place on the roster. Maybe this outing didn’t help that cause, but the season’s long. And the way the Dodgers are stretched, he might be getting another shot sooner than later.
Dave Roberts knowing that he used his bullpen a lot lately, allowed poor Matt Sauer to just get wedgied out tonight 😭💀 pic.twitter.com/Pm6OsXzRbw
— Brian (@BkcSports) June 11, 2025
