Matt Sauer got the chance to play for his hometown team, appearing in 10 games for the Dodgers and even making a start while pitchers such as Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Blake Snell were all on the injured list. A native of Santa Maria and a former second round pick in 2017 by the […]
Matt Sauer got the chance to play for his hometown team, appearing in 10 games for the Dodgers and even making a start while pitchers such as Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Blake Snell were all on the injured list.
A native of Santa Maria and a former second round pick in 2017 by the New York Yankees, Sauer was a Rule 5 pick by the Kansas City Royals, where he made his big league debut in 2024 and struggled across 16 1/3 innings while posting a 7.71 ERA. He was later returned to the Yankees in May, and became a free agent following their World Series loss to the Dodgers.
Sauer joined the Dodgers on a minor league deal back on Jan. 5 and was elevated to the big league roster for the Tokyo Series, only to be demoted back to Triple-A once the Dodgers returned to the United States. Sauer was called back up in early April as a corresponding move to Blake Snell landing on the injured list due to left shoulder inflammation, and he made his Dodgers debut on April 7, tossing 1 2/3 innings of relief in a loss to the Washington Nationals. He was once again demoted to Triple-A the following day and didn’t receive another call-up for the next three weeks.
As Tyler Glasnow landed on the injured list due to back tightness, Sauer was once again promoted, this time getting a longer leash with the big league club. He tossed five solid innings of relief in a win over the Miami Marlins and recorded a four innings save against Miami in his next outing. Sauer made his first big league start on May 15 against the Athletics, holding them to two runs over four innings of work with the Dodger offense giving him an abundance of run support in a 19-2 victory.
Sauer bounced between the big leagues and Triple-A sporadically over the next three months, making another two appearances in June and another in August before the Dodgers designated him for assignment on Sept. 6 and being released four days later. He rejoined the Dodgers on another minor league deal on Sept. 18, and spent the remainder of the season with the Oklahoma City Comets. He was released by Oklahoma City on Nov. 4 shortly after the Dodgers repeated as champions.
2025 particulars
Age: 26
Stats: 2-1, 1 SV, 6.37 ERA, 1.449 WHIP, 5.16 FIP, 24 K, 8 BB, 29 2/3 IP, 66 ERA+, -0.7 rWAR, -0.1 fWAR
Salary: unknown
Game of the year
Sauer’s best game of the 2025 season came on May 7 against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Sauer pitching four innings while allowing just one hit and one unearned run, striking out four and walking one as he picked up his first career save in a 10-1 Dodgers victory.
Roster status
Matt Sauer will pitch for the KT Wiz of the KBO for the 2026 season.
Category: General Sports
