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Dodgers Share New Optimistic Injury Update On Young Flamethrower

Originally posted on LAFB Network | By Ryan Anderson | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 12:13 AM ET

Just a month ago, it looked like Los Angeles Dodgers rookie starting pitcher Roki Sasaki’s highly anticipated rookie season might end before it truly began.

After being shut down in June due to shoulder discomfort, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was candid about the uncertainty surrounding Sasaki’s future. “We have to plan on life without him as far as this year,” Roberts told reporters at the time. “He was not comfortable and not feeling that he can ramp it up.” While scans revealed no structural damage, Sasaki was experiencing tightness and was unable to resume his throwing program. As Roberts noted, “I don’t think it’s pain. It’s tightness… discomfort.”

At the time, the outlook was grim. The 23-year-old rookie had last pitched on May 9, and with a wave of pitching injuries already taxing the Dodgers’ depth, the assumption was that Sasaki would be sidelined for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.

But now, the narrative has shifted dramatically.

Roki Sasaki’s Season Reversal: From Uncertainty to Optimism in the Los Angeles Dodgers Rotation

Dodgers Share New Optimistic Injury Update On Young Flamethrower 1 Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Roberts delivered a far more optimistic update this week, sharing that Sasaki has resumed throwing and completed a bullpen session, touching 90 mph. He’s expected to throw again Monday and could be on track for a late August return.

“He’s stronger than he’s been in quite some time,” Roberts said. “It hasn’t started the way he would have liked… but I’m hoping he takes this as a learning experience.”

Sasaki, signed to a minor-league deal last offseason, posted a 4.72 ERA with 24 strikeouts and 22 walks over his first eight starts. While his command was erratic, his raw talent—highlighted by a high-90s fastball and an elite splitter—was undeniable.

With Los Angeles already using a league-high 16 starting pitchers this season, Sasaki’s return could offer a timely boost down the stretch. In a year where the Dodgers have managed to stay atop the NL West despite relentless injuries, the news that Sasaki’s season isn’t lost after all is a welcome—and perhaps pivotal—development.

This article first appeared on LAFB Network and was syndicated with permission.

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