Dodgers' Dave Roberts Has 3-Word Update on Roki Sasaki

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki was sidelined by a right shoulder impingement after just eight starts into his Major League Baseball career.

Sasaki, 23, was one of the most popular free agents in last winter's class. As an international amateur free agent, the Japanese fireballer was baseball's best bargain since he could only be signed to a minor league deal.

The unique free agency process for Sasaki resulted in a three-team final race for the young pitcher who was deemed one of the best rising stars in the world. The Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, and Dodgers were the final suitors in the Sasaki sweepstakes.

The Dodgers, a team that has built a reputation on outspending others, could not do the same to land Sasaki. Instead, the defending champions convinced the right-hander that he could continue his already successful baseball career in L.A.

The hype surrounding Sasaki's jump from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB was nothing short of exciting, but the right-hander's early tenure in the big leagues wasn't a storybook beginning.

Prior to landing on the IL, Sasaki sported a 4.72 ERA with 24 strikeouts and 1.485 WHIP across 34.1 innings pitched. The right-hander recorded an ERA+ of 85, well below the league average for pitchers.

Just a few weeks ago, manager Dave Roberts provided an ominous update regarding the Dodgers rookie.

“We have to plan on life without him at least this year, that’s fair to say,” Roberts said of Sasaki.

However, the latest update bodes well for Sasaki's potential return to the rotation this year.

Sasaki has continued to play catch, and is "feeling really good" nearly two months into his stint on the IL, per Roberts.

There's no firm timeline for his return, but the latest update provides some hope that fans could be seeing the rookie back in the rotation at some point this season.