The Los Angeles Dodgers' acquisition of young Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki was one of the most talked about moves of the offseason. One of the most impressive young pitching talents in the world, most fans expected Sasaki to take the big leagues by storm in his first season in Dodger Blue. Unfortunately, things did not pan out that way. The jump up to MLB from NPB is significant, as Sasaki learned first hand. Additionally, Sasaki also encountered issues related to his fitness. In early May, the youngster picked up a shoulder injury, which led to him missing a large chunk of the regular season. With the Dodgers' bullpen ravaged by injury, skipper Dave Roberts opted to use Sasaki as a reliever out of the bullpen once he returned from the IL. So far, that move has worked out well.Featuring on Thursday's episode of "Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander", Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer John Smoltz had his say on Roki Sasaki's recent transition into a relief pitcher. Though he still thinks Sasaki's long-term future lies as a starter, Smoltz did acknowledge that Sasaki's current role suits him well as of now. "I can honestly say, he (Roki Sasaki) wasn't ready yet. The injury didn't help either, but his command and the hitability of his fastball was not quite ready for five, six, seven innings. He's going to be fantastic [in the future] and I'll still make that claim, but he just wasn't ready [to be a starting pitcher].""In this role, now, he doesn't have to think so much about getting through a lineup. He can let it eat and get away with a little bit more with this role. So, I think it suits him well," Smoltz said [17:45]Roki Sasaki helped the Dodgers secure qualification to the NLDS on WednesdayThough they managed to retain the NL West title, the Dodgers weren't able to clinch one of the top two seeds in the NL, which meant they had to play a best-of-three wildcard series against the Cincinnati Reds to earn the right to progress to the NLDS. In game one, which took place on Tuesday, the Dodgers managed to win 10-5. Needing another win to seal their spot in the next round, Wednesday's game did not start off on a good note for the hosts, as the they quickly conceded two runs in the first inning. However, they were able to turn the game on it's head in the innings that followed. When it came time to get the final three outs in the top of the ninth, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts turned to young Roki Sasaki. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe 23-year-old rose to the occasion, registering two strikeouts, before inducing a weak line drive by Austin Hays, which was caught by Mookie Betts, to seal the win.