Roki Sasaki’s road back to the Dodgers’ rotation has been anything but smooth. The 23-year-old right-hander has now been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City for 31 days, a threshold that usually forces a club to either activate a player or end the assignment. In this case, though, the Dodgers received a reprieve.
Manager Dave Roberts explained Friday that Sasaki sustained “a calf situation” during his rehab stint, which effectively reset his timeline. As a result, Sasaki will make at least one more start in Triple-A before the Dodgers decide on his next step.
“He wanted to keep going, feels that he needs to keep pitching,” Roberts told reporters, including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. “His delivery is in a good spot. He’s worked his tail off to get back in a good spot which we’re very excited about.”
From Coveted Signing to Uncertain Role
Vote For Your Favorite Dodgers Duo: Ohtani – Yamamoto, Betts – Freeman, Hernandez – Hernandez
Sasaki entered the year with enormous expectations. After electing to be posted for MLB clubs, nearly every team pursued him despite the constraints of the international bonus pool system. The Dodgers ultimately won the sweepstakes, landing a pitcher many believed would be an ace for a fraction of his future market value.
Instead, his debut campaign has been rocky. In eight starts before landing on the injured list with a shoulder impingement in May, Sasaki pitched to a 4.72 ERA, striking out just 24 while issuing 22 walks. His command issues followed him into Triple-A, where he has posted a 6.75 ERA across 18 2/3 innings. Though his walk rate has slightly improved, it remains well below expectations for someone with his caliber of stuff.
A Changing Pitching Landscape
Complicating Sasaki’s return is the Dodgers’ current rotation. With Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto all locked in and dealing, there’s no obvious opening for Sasaki to slide back into. Roberts hinted that the bullpen could be an option, though he acknowledged what a significant adjustment that would be for a pitcher trained as a starter.
“I think that Roki is … in a good place to do whatever it is to help the team,” Roberts said. “That (pitching out of the bullpen) would be something that would be completely odd to him so it would have to be a little bit of a leap of faith on his part as well. But I think that he understands how good the starting pitchers are pitching. He just wants to be a part of it. He’s worked really hard to get himself into a position to contribute.”
Relief Opportunity?
The idea isn’t without merit. With late-inning veterans like Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Blake Treinen all enduring uneven seasons, the Dodgers have increasingly leaned on younger arms such as Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer in high-leverage spots. If Sasaki can harness his fastball and secondary pitches in shorter bursts, he could provide a stabilizing force in a bullpen that will be under scrutiny in October.
Still, the transition would come with risk. Sasaki’s rhythm has already been disrupted by injuries and inconsistent command. Asking him to adapt to an entirely new role on the fly could complicate his development further.
Looking Ahead
What’s clear is that the Dodgers’ pitching staff is not the same one Sasaki left in May. The rotation is thriving, the bullpen has needs, and the postseason is looming. Whether Sasaki returns as a starter or a reliever, his performance down the stretch could shape both the Dodgers’ October plans and his own long-term trajectory.
For now, his next test comes in Triple-A, where both he and the Dodgers will get one more look at what role he’s truly ready for.