SAN FRANCISCO — What role – if any – Roki Sasaki might have in their postseason plans is not a decision the Dodgers are ready to make.
They kicked the can a little farther down the road by getting the Japanese rookie to agree to extend his minor-league rehabilitation assignment beyond the standard 30 days. He will make another start for Triple-A Oklahoma City at some point next week.
The ostensible reason for the extension is a “calf situation” that came up during his most recent start on Tuesday.
“He wanted to keep going, feels that he needs to keep pitching,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “His delivery is in a good spot. He’s worked his tail off to get back in a good spot which we’re very excited about.”
Before that start on Tuesday, Sasaki spent some time in Arizona with Rob Hill, the Dodgers’ director of pitching. The result was eight strikeouts in 4⅔ innings and increased velocity – an average of 98.6 mph on his four-seam fastball with six pitches that touched 100 mph.
Being open to that instruction was “a new step” for Sasaki, Roberts said.
“Roki has kind of been on his own trying to get his feels and things like that. But he and Rob had a really good session and tapped into some velocity,” Roberts said.
“I think a lot of young, talented players just out-talent leagues and they don’t really need to make any type of adjustments. It happens with Americans, it happens with pitchers, with position players with a lot of young players. I just think it was something where he needed some suggestions for guidance and Rob was there and it worked out well.”
Sasaki has posted a 6.75 ERA in five starts for OKC so far. He has been on the 60-day injured list with a shoulder impingement and hasn’t faced major-league hitters since May 9.
If Sasaki starts for OKC next week, it pushes a return to the majors into the final week of the regular season, leaving little time for him to demonstrate an ability to pitch out of the bullpen – something he has never really done but probably his only path to a spot on the Dodgers’ postseason roster.
“I think that Roki is … in a good place to do whatever it is to help the team,” Roberts said. “That (pitching out of the bullpen) would be something that would be completely odd to him so it would have to be a little bit of a leap of faith on his part as well.
“But I think that he understands how good the starting pitchers are pitching. He just wants to be a part of it. He’s worked really hard to get himself into a position to contribute.”
Roberts said he still expects Sasaki to pitch for the Dodgers again before the end of the regular season.
“I don’t know when. I don’t know what capacity,” he said. “But I’m hopeful that we’ll see Roki here before season’s end.”
SMITH STATUS
Catcher Will Smith was not in the Dodgers’ starting lineup again Friday, the seventh of their past eight games that Smith has missed with a bone bruise in his right hand.
“It’s still there. It doesn’t feel great,” Roberts said. “It’s getting better each day but still not 100%.”
Smith underwent an MRI during the Dodgers’ off day Thursday. Like the X-rays and CT scan he had before that, it showed no fracture.
“I think after his first game back (Tuesday) and just feeling with all the tests we’ve done to come up negative and the swelling has dissipated … we thought we’d be in a better spot,” Roberts said. “But at least there’s improvement each day.”
The Dodgers have considered putting Smith on the injured list just to give his hand more time to heal, Roberts said, but “we’re not there yet.”
“But there is talk as far as potential downside, how long we can wait to see if he can potentially get back to playing,” Roberts said.
RUSHING REHAB
Dalton Rushing began his rehab assignment with OKC on Thursday, catching nine innings and going 1 for 4 with a double. He was in the lineup again Friday at DH.
Rushing suffered a bone bruise in his lower right leg a week ago when he fouled a ball off his shin. He will be eligible to come off the IL on Tuesday.
ALSO
Shohei Ohtani will make his next pitching start either Monday or Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, Roberts said.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 10-2, 3.27 ERA) at Giants (RHP Logan Webb, 14-9, 3.12 ERA), Saturday, 6:05 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM