With all the pitching injuries that the Los Angeles Dodgers have dealt with this season, right-hander Roki Sasaki might just be among the most disappointing.
Sasaki led a 20-team sweepstakes upon making the jump to MLB this past offseason, and given his 2.10 ERA across four seasons in Japan, plus, being just 23 years old, there was immense excitement surrounding the new piece of the Dodgers rotation.
Sasaki showed early, unsurprising, struggles, but with a noticable drop in his velocity and a 4.72 ERA across his first eight starts, the right-hander hit the injured list with a shoulder impingement.
Sasaki has worked to get back onto the mound and was finally able to start a rehab assignment last month. After four rehab starts, however, things have been rough for the right-hander. Sasaki has a 7.07 ERA with 17 hits, eight walks, and 11 earned runs in 14 innings of work in Triple-A.
Manager Dave Roberts spoke on what Sasaki needs to improve on in general, but also how to elevate his game in order to rejoin the team when he is ready.
“Again, I think the main thing for Roki is just performance. Increasing his velocity and command. Just pitching well,” Roberts said. “We’re in a playoff race. So he’s got to continue to raise his level to be here.”
Sasaki knew that it wouldn’t be as simple as returning to the team when fully healthy given his past performances paired with the slim divisional lead the Dodgers have. He spoke ahead of starting his rehab assignment that he was up for the challenge.
“My every intention is to get back on the major league mound and pitch again,” Sasaki said. “With that being said, I do need to fight for the opportunity, too. I don’t think that I’ll just be given the opportunity right away. So you know this month is going to be important for me, since I’ll be facing hitters throughout.”
Sasaki has youth on his side, but regarding a 2025, return, he must start to show he is clearly moving the needle towards more consistent production.
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