Not only did the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series and become champions in 2024, but they also won the offseason race when they signed 23-year-old Roki Sasaki.
Roki Sasaki, a phenom from Japan, had a career 2.10 ERA across four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. After 20 MLB teams courted the right-hander, he signed with the Dodgers, looking to become the next great pitcher to take the mound in L.A.
Sasaki was the MLB’s top prospect when he signed. His arrival in Los Angeles was highly anticipated after his success in Japan’s NPB. Sasaki, who has a 4.72 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 34.1 innings this season, has failed to live up to the hype so far.
Roki Sasaki Health Update From Dodgers’ Pitching Coach
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers provided a discouraging update on Sasaki. Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior told reporters that the 23-year-old is not making progress in his rehab.
According to Sports Illustrated, Prior said there’s not much to report on Sasaki right now. “I think right now we’ve got to get him in a position where he feels confident in his ability to throw the baseball,” Prior said.
“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,” he added.
The latest Roki Sasaki update doesn’t exactly instill confidence in him returning to the Dodgers anytime soon…https://t.co/WHo6WTA3kz
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 12, 2025
Sasaki isn’t the lone Dodgers pitcher to suffer from the injury bug this season. Blake Snell, Tony Gonsolin, and Tyler Glasnow have all dealt with injuries as well.
It’s remarkable the Dodgers are still leading the NL West when you factor in Shohei Ohtani’s prior injuries and recent bullpen setbacks to Blake Treinen and Evan Phillips.
As of now, Ben Casparius, Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are expected to hold the rotation together until the others return. Sasaki made his last start on May 9 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing five earned runs in four innings.
From the Dodgers’ perspective, there’s no rush to bring Sasaki back. As one of their most valuable young arms, the team is focused on ensuring he’s completely healthy before returning to the mound. Given how strong the rest of their roster is, it seems like they can afford to hold out.