Dodgers’ win is a close call

Takashi Saito has been a constant for the Dodgers in a season full of questions.

He has converted 25 of 28 save opportunities. He has been an All-Star. And he has been healthy.

Until the last three days.

With Saito missing the last three games -- he was unavailable again in the Dodgers’ 8-6 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday at Dodger Stadium -- and possibly about to miss a fourth today, he might be added to the ailing club’s long list of uncertainties.

The soreness that Saito described as spread around the back of his shoulder and neck on Wednesday was concentrated in only two or three spots by Saturday. He and trainer Stan Conte interpreted this as a sign of progress, an indication that he could be ready to pitch today.

“The problem is definitely getting better,” Conte said.

But Saito was concerned. The Dodgers closer said he had a similar concentration of soreness when he had persistent problems with his spinal cord in his last three seasons in Japan.

“It’s similar to what I felt when I had herniated disks, so I’m thinking it could be related to that,” Saito said.

The memories of his final seasons with the Yokohama BayStars are largely unpleasant, which is why he remained cautious even though Conte said the problem is muscular and not spinal. Saito used to regularly receive painkilling injections in his back.

Asked if he was worried that he could once again develop disk problems, Saito responded, “Of course I’m worried. I’m being careful to make sure that doesn’t happen. If it does come back, I could be in serious trouble.”

So Saito, who first felt signs of trouble while pitching Wednesday, fought the urge Saturday to add an extra arm to the Dodgers’ heavily worked bullpen.

“I understand that the bullpen is suffering and it’s in times like these that I’d like to be able to pitch,” Saito said. “But even though I understand what the bullpen is going through, I feel I need to rest.

“I didn’t think I could help the team to go on the mound and force myself to throw in this condition. Even if I could pitch today, if it would force me to rest a month, I would be increasing the burden on my team. It was a tough decision.”

The decision to rest was made while stretching in pregame warmups. Feeling his range of motion was still limited, he canceled plans to play catch.

Saito received acupuncture treatments in the morning and early afternoon. Though he’d said Friday that he would probably be able to pitch Saturday, he seemed less sure on Saturday about his status today.

“I still don’t know,” he said. “I’m hoping I can go.”

If he can’t, his role as closer probably will be filled by Jonathan Broxton, who got his second save by holding the Mets scoreless in the final 1 2/3 innings. He struck out David Wright and Carlos Delgado in the eighth and retired the side in the ninth.

In the closing role, Broxton said, “you get a lot more adrenaline.” Said Manager Grady Little: “I think that a lot of people believe that will be where he’ll be one day in his future. He certainly has the stuff to do it. It’s a matter of getting out there and experiencing it a few times. Right now, he’s certainly a good alternative when Saito’s down.”

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com