“He earned the spot. I am very proud of him.” That’s what Dave Roberts said back in March about his rising Japanese sensation, Roki Sasaki, when those triple-digit heaters were the headline. Then reality hit. Velocity dropped to an average of 96mph, and if that wasn’t enough, he landed on the 60-day IL due to right shoulder impingement in May. Now that he’s back on the mound in his rehab starts at Triple-A Oklahoma City, the manager has some news.

The road back hasn’t been kind to the 23-year-old phenom. He pitched for 3 2/3 innings, threw 75 pitches (47 for strikes), struck out four batters, but also walked two and gave up three earned runs on five hits against the Memphis Redbirds in his third rehab start. Well, it wasn’t all bad.

His velocity touched 98.8 mph— a good sign. However, in the same outing, he was unable to find the strike zone, giving up one hit, one earned run, and walking one batter before striking out another. A rough line: 21 P, 11 S, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, and 1 K, raising doubts whether he is ready for majors.

According to Bill Plunkett’s recent tweet, Roberts commented on Roki Sasaki’s performance at OKC that “Each start has been better.” He added, “expectation is that Sasaki will pitch for OKC again and then it’ll be a real conversation on what it looks like for him potentially coming back to us.”

His real talk? Show good numbers and earn a spot.

As he mentioned before, “We’re gonna take the 13 best pitchers [into the playoffs]. If Roki is a part of that in some capacity, then that would be great. And if he’s not, then he won’t be.” So, the next outing of Roki Sasaki will be a crucial one.

The urgency couldn’t be higher for the Boys in Blue, who are already dealing with pitching woes.

In August, injuries and inconsistent pitching have hurt the Dodgers. Tony Gonsolin had surgery that ended his season. River Ryan, a rookie pitcher, was also shut down because of a UCL tear. The injury plague didn’t stop there…

Dodgers hit another speed bump

Just when you think the injury list can’t get longer, it does. And this time it’s their left arm, Alex Vesia, who landed in the 15-day IL starting Aug 23, due to a right oblique strain.

The timing couldn’t be worse, with Blake Snell taking his place on the paternity list.

Manager Dave Roberts said that the injury doesn’t seem too bad and that Vesia should be back by the beginning of September, which is about the earliest time frame.

Before the injury, Vesia was a key player in high-pressure circumstances, compiling a good 2.75 ERA in 59 games and striking out almost 33% of the batters he faced. That said, he had a bad stretch in the middle of August, giving up four earned runs in a few games. Overall, though, he was still one of the bullpen’s most reliable pitchers.

It matters that Vesia is gone, especially with the playoffs coming up. His absence makes things considerably harder for a bullpen that is already short on players because of injury. That’s where Roki Sasaki’s rehab becomes more important for the Dodgers’ rotation. If Sasaki can come back strong, he may help things settle down a lot before September.

With Vesia hurt, Blake Snell going on the paternity list, and Roki Sasaki’s inconsistent display, Roberts has a lot to figure out before the postseason.