Roki Sasaki: Recovery and Expectations on the Mound
After spending three months on the injured list, Roki Sasaki has begun his recovery process. The pitcher expressed his relief at not feeling pain in his right shoulder and is confident in regaining the speed of his fastball, which had decreased before the injury.Sasaki is scheduled to throw three simulated innings at Dodger Stadium over the weekend, before starting a rehabilitation assignment. The Dodgers plan to use Sasaki as a starting pitcher, although his final role on the team is still to be determined. The Dodgers’ rotation is currently complete, with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow already recovered, Shohei Ohtani stretched to pitch at least four innings, and Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Emmet Sheehan filling the other three spots in a six-man rotation. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, when asked about the possibility of Sasaki taking a spot in the bullpen, especially in October, replied: “I’m going to reserve that answer. I know we’re going to take the best 13 pitchers. I’ve been part of many postseason rosters, so we’re going to take the best 13 pitchers. If Roki is part of that, in some capacity, then that would be great. And if not, he won’t be.” Before considering any scenario, Sasaki must prove his worth in the field. The 23-year-old right-hander arrived in the Major Leagues with high expectations, coming from Japan, with a fastball that exceeded three figures and an impressive splitter. However, evaluators recognized that he needed more experience. This was evident at the beginning of his career. In his first eight starts, before being placed on the injured list for what the Dodgers described as a shoulder injury, Sasaki had an ERA of 4.72 and did not complete six innings on seven occasions. In 34⅓ innings, he conceded almost as many walks (22) as strikeouts (24). His fastball, often out of control, fell to the mid-90s in his last outings. Often, the splitter was his only consistent pitch. Sasaki acknowledged that “American hitters have a different approach at the plate compared to Japanese hitters”. “I can’t attack the same way I used to in Japan,” he added. With this in mind, Sasaki has begun to experiment with a two-seam fastball, a pitch designed to generate early contact and, preferably, ground balls. The hope is that it will become a second fastball to complement his splitter and slider. However, the current focus is on perfecting his pitching mechanics to avoid shoulder issues. Sasaki stated that he now has “a better understanding of where the pain came from and how to make sure it doesn’t return.” His mechanics “are not 100 percent right now,” Sasaki added, “but I think they are heading in the right direction.” When he returns, Sasaki will have to prove that he deserves a place on the team. “My intention is to return to the mound in the Major Leagues and pitch,” he said. “That said, I need to fight for that opportunity. I don’t think I’m going to be given the opportunity right away.”I feel better being able to throw with more force, especially because I don’t feel any pain. That said, I have to face live batters and see how my mechanics hold up. Being consistent, being able to do it constantly.
Roki Sasaki
