Signs were there around Dodgers before Roki Sasaki's IL trip

LOS ANGELES — With pitcher J.P. Feyereisen in the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse before the beginning of a three-game series with the Athletics on Tuesday night, some of manager Dave Roberts' pregame comments about Roki Sasaki took on added importance.

Those comments grew even larger when it was announced shortly after Roberts left the press conference room that Sasaki had landed on the injured list with right shoulder impingement. In a corresponding move, Feyereisen was added to the active roster.

Sasaki struggled in his last start on May 9, giving up five runs on five hits to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 23-year-old right-hander had showed signs of progress after walking nine in his first two starts of a season that lasted just 4.2 innings combined. However, there were concerns after Sasaki's last start about not only his performance, but his health as well.

On Tuesday, Roberts said that Sasaki was "a little bit sore" after the start in Arizona. 

"That's something we're still trying to figure out. What's normal, what's not normal and what could potentially we want to make sure that he's in a good spot physically," Roberts said. 

Roberts said that's just one of the things the Dodgers are still trying to learn about the coveted player they signed this offseason who, at the time, looked to make the Los Angeles rotation among the most talented in all of baseball. Sasaki's injury, however, is just the latest in what has been a string of issues affecting Dodgers pitchers.

"We're still trying to have conversations to kind of see where he's at because, at the end of the day, we want to make sure he is performing up to his capabilities and up to our capabilities and expectations," Roberts said. "There's a lot of things we're trying to suss out with Roki."

Roberts added that Sasaki was "disappointed that he didn't go deeper" in his last start against Arizona. 

In eight starts covering 34.1 innings this season, Sasaki has a 4.72 ERA, 6.17 FIP and WHIP of 1.485.

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.