Dodgers Rookie Roki Sasaki Lands on Injured List with Shoulder Injury

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki has been placed on the injured list due to a right shoulder impingement, a condition he previously experienced in Japan. The injury was reported after Sasaki expressed discomfort following his last start on May 9.

Sasaki, 23, told Dodgers management that his arm was sore after pitching four innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he allowed five runs on 61 pitches. Manager Dave Roberts noted that Sasaki had been feeling discomfort for several weeks but chose to push through it until his performance was affected.

“What we gather is he’s felt some discomfort for the last few weeks,” Roberts explained. “He wanted to continue to go and persevere, but eventually he let us know where he was at physically.”

After undergoing scans during the team’s off day, the diagnosis confirmed the shoulder issue. There is currently no set timeline for his return. Roberts stated, “I don’t think that any expectation is fair to him.”

In his eight starts this season, Sasaki has posted a record of 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA and has recorded 24 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings. He was initially scheduled to pitch against the Oakland Athletics on May 11 but now the team will likely rely on a bullpen strategy in his absence.

Sasaki signed with the Dodgers in January after four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League. He has faced injury challenges in the past, including shoulder fatigue that limited him to 18 starts last year. Roberts expressed hope that the IL stint would allow Sasaki to recover and come back stronger.

“We feel with some rest, getting the strength back, and getting back to his normal delivery, he’s going to be just fine,” said Roberts. “At the end of the day, we want to ensure he is performing at his best.”

Sasaki’s injury adds to the Dodgers’ pitching challenges, as Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are also currently sidelined. The team looks to regain stability as J.P. Feyereisen has been recalled to help fill the gap.