Los Angles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had a live reaction to hearing about Roki Sasaki’s 100-MPH rehab start in AAA Oklahoma City in his pregame press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Sasaki has been on the IL since May 13 and has made five rehab appearances in the last month.
When told by a reporter that Sasaki touched 100-MPH in his last outing, Roberts reacted with this statement:
“Is he? That’s great, that’s a good thing for the Dodgers and for Roki,” Roberts said. “We’ll have some conversations after this one but that’s good to hear.”
It seems like the Japanese flamethrower’s return to the big leagues this season is no longer an “if” but a “when.” Sasaki was placed on the IL with a right shoulder impingement back in May and was shut down from pitching until his first rehab start on Aug. 14.
“I think we just want to see continued improvement on the results, the stuff,” Roberts said. “With the rehab assignment, we’re sort of up against it now so we’ve got to make a decision and figure out where we’re at.”
With just 17 game left in the regular season, it seems more likely than not that Sasaki won’t pitch for the Dodgers until the playoffs, though he may have made his last rehab start last night.
The Dodgers starting rotation has been very strong recently with the resurgence of Shohei Ohtani and a rejuvenated Clayton Kershaw complimenting ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell. Sasaki’s role may be limited to bullpen work in the playoffs if a spot doesn’t open up in the rotation.
Figuring Out a Plan For Sasaki
Roberts remarked that even he is unsure of what the organization wants to do with Sasaki now that he has seemingly reached the end of his rehab stint.
“I think the organization, we’ve all got to huddle up and figure out what’s the next plan,” Roberts said. “I personally don’t know Roki’s plan after tonight.”
Despite Sasaki touching 100-MPH on Sept. 9, he hasn’t been lighting the world on fire in his innings with AAA Oklahoma City. In 18.2 innings, he has an ERA of 6.75 with 16 strikeouts and 12 walks, while he’s allowed 20 hits and 14 earned runs.
“I know Roki is anxious to get back here, I know he wants to contribute.”
Sasaki made eight starts in his first season in the MLB before he was placed on the IL. He had an ERA of 4.72 in 34.1 innings pitched, allowing 18 earned runs in that time.
Where Does Sasaki Fit on the Playoff Roster?
The Dodgers have one of the most complete pitching staff’s in the MLB. The aforementioned starting rotation, when fully healthy, is on paper the best in the league, and the bullpen has a smorgasbord of household names.
The bullpen has been relatively inconsistent though, so Sasaki would be a great piece to add in the playoffs to stabilize the middle of the pen, especially if he can deliver two or three innings when he appears.
Sasaki isn’t scheduled for anymore rehab starts at the moment, so it’s likely just a matter of time before he is promoted back to the big leagues.
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