Roki Sasaki’s rookie season with the Los Angeles Dodgers was supposed to be a launching pad—a chance for one of the most hyped international prospects in recent memory to show why he was considered a generational talent in Japan. Instead, it’s become a lesson in patience, tempered expectations, and the unpredictable nature of pitching health.
As of mid-June, Sasaki has been shut down from throwing, and the timeline for his return is uncertain at best, nonexistent at worst. The 23-year-old right-hander had resumed light catch about two weeks after landing on the injured list on May 13 with a right shoulder impingement. But just as the Dodgers were starting to get healthier across their rotation, Sasaki’s recovery stalled. He reported discomfort—not sharp pain, but tightness and unease—when trying to ramp up his throwing intensity. That discomfort was enough to pause his rehab entirely.
Manager Dave Roberts was candid when asked whether Sasaki could pitch again this season. “I think the mindset should be we’ve got to plan on life without him, as far as this year,” Roberts said. While the Dodgers haven’t ruled out a return, the lack of a timeline and Sasaki’s halted progress suggest a comeback is far from guaranteed.
Los Angeles Dodgers Pause Rehab For Roki Sasaki
Sasaki has not undergone additional scans or tests, and the club appears to believe it understands the nature of the issue. Still, Roberts emphasized that it’s now more about how Sasaki feels and whether he’s confident in his ability to throw without hesitation. “It’s discomfort,” Roberts said. “I don’t think it’s pain. It’s tightness… whatever the adjective you want to use—I’d rather him kind of say that.”
The concern is compounded by the fact that this injury is not entirely new. Sasaki acknowledged that the shoulder issue is reminiscent of a problem he experienced during his final season in Nippon Professional Baseball. “Last year, I did have something similar, but actually worse,” Sasaki said through interpreter Will Ireton. “It was something I was able to overcome and still perform.”
In Japan, Sasaki was electric. Over four NPB seasons, he posted a 2.10 ERA and struck out nearly 33% of the batters he faced—an eye-popping rate in a league known for contact hitting. In 2023, he was dominant, logging a 1.78 ERA with a 39.1% strikeout rate. That level of performance is what prompted the Dodgers to invest heavily this past offseason, outbidding clubs like the Padres and Blue Jays to secure his services with their full international bonus pool.
But the early returns in MLB have been mixed. In eight starts, Sasaki posted a 4.72 ERA over 34 1/3 innings. More concerning than the ERA were the peripherals: 24 strikeouts to 22 walks, and struggles going deep into games. He failed to complete the fifth inning in half his starts. For a pitcher with top-of-the-rotation upside, those numbers painted the picture of someone still adjusting to the demands of Major League Baseball—and perhaps still regaining trust in his body.
The Dodgers, to their credit, have not rushed their injured starters this season. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are progressing deliberately, with Glasnow now facing hitters and Snell back to throwing bullpens. Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound looms, and Emmet Sheehan is expected to rejoin the rotation shortly. In the meantime, the team is leaning on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Ben Casparius, and Sheehan to shoulder the load.
Sasaki’s potential hasn’t vanished. His pure talent—his fastball, his splitter, his mound presence—still makes him one of the most promising young arms in baseball. But with his 2025 debut now on indefinite hold, and no clear timeline for resuming throwing, the Dodgers must prepare for the possibility that his contributions this season may be limited to flashes of what could be, rather than consistent production.
For now, Sasaki remains a tantalizing prospect with a complicated present. His story with the Dodgers is just beginning—but chapter one hasn’t gone quite as planned.