Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki has been on the 15-day injured list since May 14, missing time with a right shoulder issue.
Sasaki reported shoulder discomfort during his last two outings, then he had an MRI that revealed an injury, which manager Dave Roberts described as something similar to shoulder soreness.
The young Japanese pitcher wanted to keep pitching through the discomfort given the Dodgers’ pitching staff injuries, but eventually the discomfort got severe enough for the team to give him some rest.
The plan was for him not to pick up a baseball for a while to give his shoulder some much-needed time off. Now, he’s ready to start ramping back up.
“Dave Roberts said Roki Sasaki will start a throwing progression next week, a first step in him ramping back up,” The Athletic’s Dodgers insider Fabian Ardaya.
Sasaki will likely be available for the Dodgers in the coming weeks, though when he returns, he will need to show some improvements on the mound.
He has a 4.72 ERA in eight starts and 34 innings pitched with 22 walks and 24 strikeouts.
His performance has been below replacement level, and his ERA numbers have some luck associated with them since his expected ERA is 6.10.
Sasaki denied that his shoulder issue had an effect on his most recent starts, though given the Japanese pitcher’s visible discomfort with his delivery compared to past starts, it could have still played a role.
While the initial impression of his pitching arsenal has been lackluster, at only 23 years of age, there is plenty of time for Sasaki to get comfortable, especially considering the team’s pitching depth when everyone is healthy.
