Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts offered a different view from earlier quotes about rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki’s health and progress. Pitching from the outside looks like a series of kinetic events that must align for a good pitch to happen. When an injury or discomfort surfaces, that will automatically mess with a team’s plans.
Under those circumstances, a team is well within its rights to take care of the player, slowing his recovery time. However, what happens when a manager sends mixed signals regarding a player’s recovery?
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Changes Story About Injured Pitcher
Sasaki last pitched on May 9, surrendering five earned runs in four innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Four days later, the team placed him on the injured list with an impingement in his right shoulder. Since then, the 23-year-old continues to recover. Sunday night, Fabian Ardaya, Dodgers beat writer from The Athletic, tweeted Roberts’ latest update on Sasaki:
“Dave Roberts sang a much different tune postgame here on Roki Sasaki. He’s pain-free. When we start that build-up, it should be soon. He’s already moving around. We all feel encouraged where he’s at right now, as far as the pain.”
Dave Roberts sang a much different tune postgame here on Roki Sasaki.
“He’s pain-free. When we start that build-up, it should be soon. He’s already moving around. We all feel encouraged where he’s at right now, as far as the pain.” https://t.co/8ff6V4H0V4
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) June 16, 2025
Earlier Sunday afternoon, Ardaya tweeted what Roberts told him before the game, which took a vastly different tone than the upbeat message he gave later in the evening.
Each statement suggests that Sasaki currently sits at two different points in his rehabilitation. More importantly, why would Roberts provide two statements on the same day that could not be more different?
A shoulder impingement, according to the Cleveland Clinic, occurs when “bones in your shoulder rub against or pinch your rotator cuff.” That friction led to Sasaki’s stint on the injured list. With that type of injury to a pitcher, Roberts knows the team must exercise caution.
With the Dodgers just two games ahead of the San Francisco Giants, every healthy starting pitcher will help. Whether Sasaki becomes part of the answer during the rest of the year remains up in the air.
Coming off a series where they beat the Giants 2-1, LA will look to carry that momentum into their next encounter against the San Diego Padres.