At the time already without Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, and still awaiting Clayton Kershaw’s 2025 debut, the Los Angeles Dodgers absorbed another loss in their starting rotation when Roki Sasaki was placed on the 15-day injured list in the middle of May.
That came after Sasaki labored through another start, and it was revealed he had been pitching through right shoulder discomfort for multiple weeks. Sasaki’s official injury designation was right shoulder impingement.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the initial course of treatment called for multiple weeks of rest. That has now passed, and Sasaki is due to begin a throwing program, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
Dave Roberts said Roki Sasaki will start a throwing progression next week, a first step in him ramping back up.
Sasaki’s IL stint began May 13, and this past Friday was two weeks from his last start. That outing is also believed to have been the last time the right-hander threw off the mound.
Roberts previously revealed the Dodgers were not aware Sasaki had been pitching through right shoulder trouble until after he faced the Arizona Diamondbacks. The shoulder impingement injury was also something he dealt with last year while with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
While the rookie is spending time on the injured list, the Dodgers are hoping to use it as an opportunity to further refine his mechanics. Delivery and the shoulder issue are reasons believed to have led to Sasaki’s fastball velocity declining as the season progressed.
Roki Sasaki’s timeline for return
The Dodgers have not publicly set a timetable for when Sasaki might return to their rotation. Roberts explained that was in effort to avoid putting pressure on the 23-year-old.
Given that Sasaki is just about to begin a throwing progression, it stands to reason he is at least one month away from being in position to get activated.
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