Roki Sasaki didn’t have the season he or the Los Angeles Dodgers envisioned upon a much-anticipated jump to Major League Baseball.
Not only was Sasaki limited to 36.1 innings pitched in the regular season due to a right shoulder injury, but he was erratic and was hard when on the mound.
Since returning from the 60-day injured list, Sasaki has thrown three scoreless innings across the regular season and postseason. And make no mistake, they have been dominant appearances out of the bullpen as Sasaki appears to have seamlessly adjusted to a new role.
The right-hander has only allowed a single baserunner while striking out six batters and walking none.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman believes the biggest difference in Sasaki’s recent performance is with an improved delivery.
“His delivery had gotten out of whack with compensation for the oblique injury and it obviously led to shoulder soreness,” Friedman said. “So just getting him feeling right and then syncing up his body again was really important.
“He was all-in, obviously, on doing that. It was just how to get from A to B. Connor McGuiness, Mark Prior, Rob Hill, have done an unbelievable job with him. The way he worked coming back made for a really devastating combo in terms of getting him back to the point we saw tonight.”
The relationship between Sasaki and the Dodgers has taken time and energy to develop. Now the two sides are at a place where the rookie is more open to the team’s advice and suggestions.
“I think like any new player that you acquire, it takes a little while to build up trust,” Friedman said. “We didn’t try to push it too early. We knew that he was a guy that was accustomed to doing things a certain way, and we were going to embrace that.
“At the same time, forging a relationship, building trust and getting to a place where we could partner together, but not pushing it prematurely.”
After his impressive performance in the National League Wild Card Series, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expects Sasaki will continue pitching in big spots during the playoffs.
Roki Sasaki’s increased physicality
Sasaki’s right shoulder impingement that surfaced in April marked a turning point in his season. It was a low point as months passed by with Sasaki sidelined and unable to contribute.
But at the same time, it also presented an opportunity to improve in other aspects as an athlete. The time away from pitching allowed Sasaki to increase his focus in the weight room, which had already been a significant part of his routine.
“That has been, basically, all year,” Friedman said of Sasaki’s commitment to workouts. “He’s got a really good routine with Travis Smith, and the time he missed actually allowed him to take on even more load without having to recover to pitch.
“So he’s definitely gotten more physical, which obviously helps.”
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