Roki Sasaki was one of the hottest commodities in the free agent market this offseason. The Los Angeles Dodgers ultimately won the race to acquire his services, thereby making him the top prospect in the major leagues this year.
However, despite showing a few flashes of brilliance, Sasaki has not exactly lived up to the hype. He had apparently been struggling with an injury after the Dodgers placed him on the 15-day IL for right shoulder impingement.
Dave Roberts Shares Positive Update on Roki Sasaki’s Recovery From Shoulder Injury
Dave Roberts, the Dodgers manager, shared a positive update regarding the recovery of the Japanese right-hander on Monday afternoon. He said Sasaki is no longer feeling pain in his throwing arm and has been cleared to play catch at a lower intensity.
“I just think the impingement is more of an inflammation. So, getting that to calm down [is necessary],” Roberts said. “From what I hear, [he’s] playing catch, albeit at a lower intensity. He’s not feeling any pain.”
“I think we’ve knocked that out. Seeing him running around, and each day he looks a lot more physical, which is great. So, I think I like our plan.”
Dave Roberts provides an update on Roki Sasaki. pic.twitter.com/8Dt8XQ8Tru
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The World Series champions have more than a dozen pitchers on the IL, including some top-end starters and high-leverage relievers. As a result, their incredibly deep pitching staff is presently down to its bare bones.
With the team running out of pitchers for their starting rotation, the Dodgers’ bullpen is bearing the brunt of those injuries. Their relief pitchers have logged the highest number of innings among their counterparts from all 30 teams in the MLB.
Having Sasaki in their starting rotation can alleviate that load from the bullpen, which might play a major factor towards the end of the season. Therefore, getting as many innings out of Sasaki is crucial, even though he has hardly been reliable.
Sasaki has made eight appearances on the mound for the Dodgers so far, but has posted just 34.1 innings and 24 strikeouts with only one quality start. He presently has a 1-1 record with a 4.72 ERA, 1.485 WHIP, and 1.6 home runs per nine innings pitched.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is leading the Dodgers’ starting rotation at the moment, with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both on the 60-day IL. However, the return of Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin last month has provided some respite to the team.
Despite having a vastly depleted pitching staff, the Dodgers have nevertheless been the dominant force in their highly competitive division. They currently have a 36-24 record at the top of the National League West with a two-game advantage over the chasing pack.
