Dodgers' Dave Roberts Provides Extremely Unfortunate Update on Roki Sasaki

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided an ominous update on his star rookie pitcher, Roki Sasaki.

Roberts said the Dodgers are preparing as if Sasaki won’t be a part of their long-term plans this season.

“We have to plan on life without him at least this year, that’s fair to say.”

- Dave Roberts on if the Dodgers have to prepare for Roki Sasaki not being a part of their long-term plan this season.
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 15, 2025

Dave Roberts gave some updates on where Roki Sasaki is at with his recovery right now and said the Dodgers mindset should be to prepare to not get him back this season 😳 pic.twitter.com/kRtvGnrPa7
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 15, 2025

Sasaki has been out of action for the better part of a month due to a shoulder impingement.

The 23-year-old is one of 15 pitchers on the injury list for the Dodgers.

Sasaki held his own when he was healthy enough to take the mound. Over eight starts this season, he logged a 3.72 ERA across 34.1 innings of work. In that span, he racked up 24 strikeouts while issuing 22 walks.

Just a few days back, Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior offered a rather vague update on the Japanese phenom, leaving some uncertainty around his status moving forward.

“Not a whole lot to report on Roki,” Prior said. “I think right now we’ve got to get him in a position where he feels confident in his ability to throw the baseball.

“There’s not a lot to report. He’s been throwing, still just light catch and not a lot of work other than light catch right now. … He is pain-free, but hasn’t gotten to the point where he can put enough intensity to push forward in his progression. It’s just a light catch, just exercising in his throw and not necessarily pushing the throw.”

Sasaki had been dealing with some discomfort and a noticeable dip in his fastball velocity before ultimately landing on the injured list. The injury appears to be a result of an increased workload and the overall physical demands associated with pitching at the MLB level.

The Dodgers did everything they could to manage the young arm carefully, but as has become an unfortunate trend year after year, they once again find themselves dealing with a key injury to a top arm in their rotation.

If Sasaki is indeed out for the rest of the season, the Dodgers may need to look at the trade market once again to bolster their depleted rotation.

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