Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki has been out for more than three months due to an impingement in his right shoulder.
Sasaki signed with the Dodgers this past offseason, transitioning from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball. The 23-year-old holds the NPB record for strikeouts in a game with 19, but has not been able to stay healthy during his first season in the United States.
Sasaki has made four starts during his rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City, experiencing mixed results in his attempt to return to the Major Leagues.
Sasaki to Make One More Rehab Start
On Tuesday night, Sasaki made his fourth appearance during his rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He allowed multiple two-run home runs during the first inning and has a 7.07 ERA, along with eight strikeouts in 14 frames.
Despite Sasaki’s rough start to Tuesday’s game against Triple-A Sugar Land, an affiliate of the Houston Astros, he regrouped to retire 11 of the last 12 batters he faced. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including MLB.com’s Sonja Chen, on Tuesday night that the right-hander will not return to the National League West club for at least another start.
“Guys here are pitching well,” Roberts told Chen about the state of the Dodgers’ pitching staff. “I’m not sure what that means for Roki after this one. Let’s just get through this one. Pitch well, [get] healthy, and then we’ll make a decision.”
Sasaki has not had the results he or the Dodgers would prefer during his time at Triple-A, but rehab stints are more about the process of returning from injury and progressing rather than statistics. He posted a 4.72 ERA and averaged 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his first eight Major League starts. Just two seasons ago in NPB, Sasaki averaged 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
“The velocity needs to be consistent. The strike throwing needs to be consistent. Just having overall command,” Roberts said during his conversation with Chen about Sasaki. “The focus certainly is different in the big leagues vs. Triple-A, which is totally fair. But I do think that where he’s at, performing and dominating Triple-A hitting is something we should expect.”
Sasaki’s Drop in Velocity
In May, Dodgers’ pitching coach Mark Prior expressed concern for Sasaki’s drop in velocity on his fastball. Before Sasaki landed on the injured list, his fastball dropped from 99-100 mph to the mid to low 90s.
His right shoulder impingement essentially played a significant role in the velocity drop, and Chen reported that his fastball averaged 94.4 mph during his outing on Tuesday.
The Dodgers’ rotation is a tad crowded as the postseason nears. Since Sasaki’s injury, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Emmet Sheehan have all returned from their own injuries. Kershaw may not start a playoff game for the Dodgers, but he has been effective of late, allowing three earned runs or fewer in four of his last five outings.
Sasaki may be in the same category as Kershaw, in the sense that he may be used as a long relief option during the postseason.
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