Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Upping velocity from flat ground
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In a pregame interview Friday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Sasaki's (shoulder) velocity while throwing from flat ground has "ticked up" to the upper-80s but indicated that the rookie hurler isn't yet ready for mound work, per The Dodgers Bleed Los Podcast.
Sasaki has been on the IL due to a right shoulder impingement since May 13, and he has had his throwing program paused on two separate occasions. However, the right-hander resumed playing catch June 20 and seems to be taking positive steps toward a return. Roberts stated Friday that Sasaki is "kind of letting it rip" from flat ground but indicated that it's "too early" for him to be ready for mound work. It's not yet clear when Sasaki will be able to take that step, but it at least appears that he's on track to be part of the Dodgers' pitching staff at some point during the second half of the campaign.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Restarts throwing program
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Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Sasaki (shoulder) has restarted his throwing program by playing catch from 60-to-90 feet, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Sasaki paused his throwing program last week due to feeling uncomfortable ramping up to full intensity, but he'll now give it another shot after sitting down for a few days. The 23-year-old righty will likely remain without a defined return timeline until he begins throwing off a mound or facing hitters, but he's guaranteed to be out through the All-Star break after moving to the 60-day IL on Friday.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Nearing throwing program
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Sasaki (shoulder) is expected to begin a throwing program within the next week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Sasaki has been on the 15-day injured list since May 13 with a right shoulder impingement, and he was shut down from throwing. The right-hander will likely require a multi-week buildup before potentially returning to the major-league roster. Sasaki will progress from playing catch to throwing a bullpen session before launching a minor-league rehab assignment.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Pauses all throwing
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Manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Sasaki will be shut down from throwing for a while, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
The Dodgers skipper didn't offer any more details as to what "a while" could mean, but it seems the team is going to see how Sasaki responds to a period of rest before it considers administering any sort of medical treatment. The 23-year-old landed on the injured list Tuesday with a right shoulder impingement, and he's likely to be sidelined beyond the 15-day minimum if the no-throw period lasts more than a few days.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Lands on IL
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The Dodgers placed Sasaki on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right shoulder impingement.
Sasaki came away from his last start Friday with a bit of soreness in his shoulder, and further evaluation determined it would be best for the 23-year-old righty to sit down for at least a couple of weeks. J.P. Feyereisen was recalled from Triple-A to fill the open spot on the pitching staff, though it's still unknown who will take Sasaki's place in the starting rotation.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Getting start on five days' rest
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Sasaki will be on five days' rest for his next start, which will come Friday in Arizona, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Each of Sasaki's first seven starts of the season have come with at least six days' rest beforehand, but he'll pitch on five days' rest for the first time while the Dodgers are in the midst of a stretch of 10 games in 10 days. The Dodgers are likely to keep a six-man rotation in place during busier portions of the schedule, so Sasaki probably won't be asked to pitch more than once per week at any point this season. Sasaki has reached five innings in each of his last four starts and submitted a 3.74 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, but a 15:9 K:BB in 21.2 innings during that stretch has somewhat muted his fantasy impact.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Logs first quality start
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Sasaki did not factor into the decision in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers. He allowed two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out four across six innings.
Sasaki has shown gradual improvement over his five starts this season, and Saturday's outing was arguably his best yet. His only blemish came in the third inning, when he yielded a two-run homer to Kyle Higashioka, but Sasaki was able to make it through six frames on 78 pitches (49 strikes) while generating 16 first-pitch strikes to the 22 batters he faced. Over his last three starts, Sasaki has registered a 2.40 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB across 15 innings. He'll look to earn his first win of his major-league career in his next start, which is tentatively lined up for next weekend at home against the Pirates.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Strikes out four in no-decision
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Sasaki did not factor into the decision in Saturday's 3-1 win against the Phillies, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts over four innings.
Sasaki worked into the fifth inning and was lifted at 68 pitches after allowing the first two batters of the frame to reach base. While the rookie's current workload continues to limit his short-term upside, he threw 41 strikes and has lowered his walk total in consecutive outings. The 23-year-old will carry a 4.15 ERA, 2.08 WHIP and 9:11 K:BB across 8.2 innings into a home matchup with the Cubs next weekend.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: No-decision in MLB debut
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Sasaki didn't factor in the decision Wednesday against the Cubs in Tokyo after giving up one run on one hit and five walks over three innings. He struck out three.
The 23-year-old appeared to be battling some nerves as he threw just 25 of his 56 pitches for strikes, but he buckled down after issuing a bases-loaded walk during the third inning with two straight strikeouts to end the frame. The control issues aside, it was a good debut for Sasaki, who was able to limit the damage to a single run despite the significant traffic. The right-hander will now have some time before the Dodgers start their domestic schedule against the Tigers next Thursday. Sasaki will likely continue to have some pitch restrictions as he builds up his workload over his next few starts.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Will start Game 2 of Tokyo Series
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Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Sasaki will make his MLB debut March 19 against the Cubs in the second game of the Tokyo Series, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
The expectation all spring had been that Sasaki would get to pitch while the Dodgers were in Japan, but it has now been made official. The 23-year-old made his second appearance of the spring Tuesday in Los Angeles' final Cactus League game, allowing just one hit over four shutout innings while striking out two batters and walking two. His first regular-season test will come against a Cubs squad that posted an .868 OPS during spring training.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Making spring debut Tuesday
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Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Friday that Sasaki will make his Cactus League debut Tuesday against the Reds, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Roberts noted that although Sasaki will be making his first spring appearance Tuesday, the start will be given to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Sasaki pitched three innings in a simulated game earlier this week, and the plan is for him to pitch at least that much in his Cactus League debut.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Throws three simulated innings
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Sasaki threw three simulated innings against White Sox hitters Tuesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Sasaki only induced four swings and misses on 38 pitches, per Plunkett. The right-hander also gave up a homer to prospect Kyle Teel on the second pitch he threw, but regardless manager Dave Roberts seems pleased with where Sasaki is in his buildup process, saying that the 23-year-old's fastball velocity is "right where we'd expect it to be." It remains to be seen when exactly Sasaki will make his Cactus League debut, but the expectation is still that he will toe the rubber March 19 in the second game of the Dodgers' season-opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Spring debut coming next week
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Sasaki is slated to make his Cactus League debut sometime next week, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Sasaki is expected to start March 19, the Dodgers' second of two games in Tokyo against the Cubs to begin the regular season. With his first spring training outing coming soon, it would seem to line Sasaki up for three exhibition appearances before his outing in Tokyo.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Previously contemplated Tommy John
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Sasaki was given a recommendation to undergo Tommy John surgery by a doctor prior to his first season with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Sasaki decided against having the operation and eventually discovered the issue was shoulder-related, with a nerve problem leading to discomfort in his elbow. The 23-year-old had durability issues throughout his career in Japan, most recently being limited by arm an oblique injuries over the last two seasons. Sasaki topped out at 129.1 innings with Chiba Lotte in 2022 and tossed 111 frames in 2024. While there don't appear to be any current health-related concerns with the righty, the Dodgers undoubtedly will be careful with his workload. Sasaki is expected to be part of a six-man rotation in 2025, and it's likely additional rest will be built in for him whenever feasible.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Expected to begin year in rotation
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President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday that the Dodgers plan to use Sasaki in their major-league rotation from the beginning of the season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Sasaki officially signed a minor-league contract with Los Angeles on Wednesday, but there are seemingly no plans to ease him into his first year with the Dodgers. However, the 23-year-old righty never pitched more than 129.1 innings in a year over his four seasons in Japan, so the Dodgers may look for other ways -- such as a six-man rotation -- to limit his rookie-season workload.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Headed to Los Angeles
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Sasaki agreed to terms on a contract with the Dodgers on Friday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Sasaki received offers from many teams but ultimately decided to join the Dodgers, who were heavily favored to land the 23-year-old from the beginning. The right-hander receives a $6.5 million signing bonus, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Over four seasons in Japan, Sasaki compiled a 2.02 ERA and 0.88 WHIP across 414.2 innings. Although his deal is officially only a minor-league contract, the phenom is certainly talented enough to pitch in the majors immediately. That being said, it's unclear where he will fit in the Dodgers' star-studded rotation.
