Roki Sasaki's Injury Has Affected Him Longer Than Expected

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently spoke about Roki Sasaki's injury and the decision to move the right-hander to the 15-day injured list.

“There was certainly some compensation from him, and his delivery was probably compromised, and all that is because he wanted to compete and help us out,” Roberts said this week. “Although we appreciate him trying to fight through it, which is great, we wanted to get some scans to know what we’re dealing with.”

Sasaki felt discomfort in his shoulder during his last two outings, as he was diagnosed with right shoulder impingement prior to landing on the IL Tuesday.

Sasaki joined starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow on the IL. None of the players have a set return date. Snell only started twice for the Dodgers this season before shoulder inflammation placed him on the IL. Glasnow suffered the same injury. Both players missed time in 2024 due to separate injuries.

The rookie has found difficulty adjusting to major league hitters, as he's allowed a home run in each of his last five starts and leads the team in walks allowed. He has a 1-1 record and an ERA of 4.72. Despite this, the 23-year-old has shown promise, posting a 3.05 ERA and having an opposing batting average of less than .200 in April.

After Sasaki's injury, the Dodgers only have four starting pitchers on their active roster: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May, Landon Knack and Tony Gonsolin. Dodgers starters have thrown the least innings in MLB, and their bullpen has thrown the most. The bullpen's fatigue is beginning to show, as the Arizona Diamondbacks are the only team whose bullpen has given up more home runs in May than the Dodgers bullpen in the NL.

The Dodgers will hope Sasaki can return quickly so they can maintain their position at the top of the NL West.