Roki Sasaki’s rookie season with the Los Angeles Dodgers certainly hasn’t gone as planned so far.
The 23-year-old Japanese-born fireballer arrived in Major League Baseball this season as arguably the most highly-anticipated international signing of the decade. But everything that’s transpired since he made his debut has worked against him.
First, Sasaki put up a 4.72 ERA and 6.18 FIP in his first eight starts as a big-leaguer, making it through six full innings just once. Then, a right shoulder impingement landed him on the injured list in early May, and the Dodgers shut him down for over two months thereafter.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Los…
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
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Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
Now that Sasaki has crept closer to his return, having made his first rehab outing for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, we’re approaching decision time for the Dodgers. How soon do they want the rookie back, and how will they prioritize getting him starts versus locking up the division title?
On Tuesday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com wrote that although Sasaki should be built up enough to return by early September, his struggles combined with the existing starting pitching depth may persuade the Dodgers to keep him on rehab longer than strictly necessary.
“Building up his workload is not the only aim while Sasaki’s on rehab,” Chen wrote. “The Dodgers also want him to build the confidence that he needs in order to be able to attack big league hitters with conviction, a quality the team feels has not always been there this season.
“With the Dodgers already using a six-man rotation, there’s not an immediate need for Sasaki to return. They can afford for him to take some time to figure things out, if needed, which would perhaps push his return beyond early September.”
The big concern with Sasaki since debuting has been his inability to beat major league hitters with his fastball, and the fact that his velocity was sitting below 94 mph in his first rehab start after averaging 96.0 in the majors is an ominous sign.
At this point, Sasaki can’t be counted on to contribute meaningfully to the Dodgers’ playoff run this season. They’ve got him for five more years, so that’s not the end of the world, but it would certainly be disappointing based on the lofty expectations thrust upon him when he arrived.
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