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The Los Angeles Dodgers shared a shocking update on Roki Sasaki’s return. According to manager Dave Roberts, Sasaki might not be available for the rest of the season as he’s facing challenges in his rehab.
On May 13, the Japanese pitcher was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. Although he resumed pitching two weeks later, his return to the roster has been halted.
There’s no return timeline for Sasaki, but Roberts further discussed how the MLB spotlight and the injury might have been taking a toll on the 23-year-old.
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“Being thrust here into this environment certainly was a big undertaking for him. And then you layer in the health part of it, and then you layer he’s a starting pitcher, the buildup, what that entails,” Dave Roberts said.
“I think that’s the prudent way to go about it. Whatever we get from him, and expecting him to be back, obviously, and contributing. But I think, yeah, the mindset should be we got to plan on life without him, as far as this year.”
Sasaki has been in the baseball spotlight for years since his dominant performance in the World Baseball Classic. However, since his debut with the Dodgers, he has had a tough stint from the mound.
Roki Sasaki’s shoulder injury similar to what he faced in Japan
![Roki Sasaki [Source: Imagn]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/c36dc-17500401981487-1920.jpg)
During his stint in Japan, Roki Sasaki faced a similar shoulder issue. He spoke to the media, noting his current injury is better than what he dealt with before.
“Last year, I did have something similar, but actually worse,” Roki Sasaki said through interpreter Will Ireton. “It was something I was able to overcome and still perform. It’s something that I somewhat feel, but not to the extent that I felt from before.”
No further testing is scheduled for the 23-year-old. He will return to the IL once the medical team confirms his stability. Before hitting the IL, he recorded a 4.72 ERA in over 34 ⅓ innings with the LA Dodgers.
alt=”Kaushani Chatterjee” height=”72″ width=”72″
Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
