A quick rewind to the last off-season- if you can recall clearly, Roki Sasaki, the Japanese phenom, was one of the most coveted pitchers on the trade market. When he landed in Los Angeles with the World Series champions, Dodgerland had their hopes way up. His transition from NPB to MLB has been far from smooth. First, his command and ERA in the recent stretch became concerning. In no time, the concerns were less about his performance and more about his shoulder.

Last month, Sasaki injured his right shoulder and was soon placed on the injured list. Upon diagnosis, the reports showed that he had suffered an impingement in his right shoulder. However, his performance had already dipped even prior to his injury. Across Sasaki’s eight starts, he recorded a 4.72 ERA, walked 22 batters and struck out only 24 over 34.1 innings. Clearly he lacked command.

Still, the Dodgers haven’t lost faith in the right-hander’s potential. Amidst Sasaki’s injury setback and return timeline discussions, manager Dave Roberts has finally dropped a much-needed update.

As of now, Sasaki has begun playing catch and is showing signs of recovery. However, his rehab schedule has not yet been decided. For now, he’ll be staying back in LA and won’t join the Dodgers for the upcoming games. “He’ll probably go to the minors because he needs to undergo rehabilitation.”

Speaking on his return, Roberts said, “I don’t know when he’ll return, but I expect him to be back in late August.” Currently, Sasaki is sitting at the bench as he’s watching pitchers and batters of other teams. More so, he’s also breaking ice with coaches and players.

In fact, the approach in Sasaki’s weight training has also been tweaked. “We’ve increased weight training. We’re working closely with strength and conditioning coach Travis Smith, and we’re working on a weight training program specifically for Roki. I want him to strengthen his whole body.” Roberts revealed.

All this while, Roberts had the impression that Sasaki had more stamina when he used to pitch in the WBC back in 2023. However, he doesn’t have the same stamina. It’s primarily why Sasaki is aiming to gain weight in order to build his stamina.

With other starters returning, the Dodgers won’t be rushing Sasaki’s return

Not just Roki Sasaki, it goes for all the injured starters from the Dodgers’ rotation. The team made it clear long ago that they won’t be rushing any of their injured players. Currently, 14 pitchers are on the injured list; that figure reflects that the team must be desperate for quicker returns. However, the front office has been prioritizing the long-term health of the players.

Despite the shoulder injury, be it anything Sasaki was facing—whether rookie nerves or mechanical issues—the Dodgers will be giving him time. “The pain never completely went away when he was pitching. He seems to be doing better now. I gave him an injection to relieve the pain, and we check in on him and have short conversations every day.” The Dodgers are keeping tabs on Sasaki and his improvement. At the same time, the team is flexible in giving Sasaki some time out because the Dodgers’ other pitchers have been showing promising signs.

Emmet Sheehan is expected to be back in the upcoming week. And well, even Shohei Ohtani was back on the mound last week. In fact, he will be starting for the Dodgers on Monday night. Meanwhile, Tyler Glasnow has been facing live hitters lately, so that’s another promising update on his return. On the other hand, Blake Snell has been throwing bullpen sessions.

Overall, the Dodgers are doing fine with a 6.5 lead against the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. So, the Dodgers intend to stay patient on Sasaki and other pitchers.