Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Has Hilarious Response to Roki Sasaki Marriage Announcement

Jan 22, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) stands in between Andrew Friedman, President of baseball operations and manager Dave Roberts during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki shocked just about everyone when he announced Friday morning he was a married man — including his manager.

“Roki?” Roberts asked with surprise when reporters told him about Sasaki's announcement.

“What? I didn’t know he had a girlfriend.”

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Sasaki made the announcement Friday morning on his Instagram page.

“Thank you for your continued support," Sasaki wrote in a caption translated from Japanese to English. "The other day I entered into the family with a common woman. A fresh start in public and private sector and I’m full of expectations and anxiety. We will work hard as a couple, so please keep a warm eye on us.” 

Sasaki, 23, joined the Dodgers this offseason on a minor league deal with a $6.5 million signing bonus. He came to Major League Baseball as an amateur international free agent, and chose the Dodgers over the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, the other finalists in his sweepstakes.

Sasaki felt like Friday morning was the best time to make the announcement, the same way Shohei Ohtani did just a year ago at spring training.

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Ohtani, as well as fellow Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, had no idea Sasaki was married.

“They were surprised,” Sasaki said in Japanese. “At first, they didn’t believe me.”

Sasaki also opened up about the decision to get married.

“There’s a lot that I can’t do on my own. This environment where I can focus on baseball is created by all the people around me,” Sasaki said. “I’m happy to have someone with me and it’s very important to me.”

While Roberts learned about Sasaki's marriage in the moment, he was asked about his potential wedding gift.

“The wedding gift will be on the way after I meet his wife," Roberts joked.

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