Roki Sasaki Lands on Injured List: What It Means for the Dodgers’ Season

The Dodgers recently announced that Roki Sasaki has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a shoulder impingement. To fill his spot, they’ve recalled reliever J.P. Feyereisen from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Sasaki experienced some arm pain after his last start. Sadly, he struggled against the Diamondbacks, allowing five runs in just four innings without recording a strikeout. His performance left him with a 4.72 earned run average after eight starts, and he’s had a tough time striking out batters, managing only a 15.6% strikeout rate while walking over 14% of batters faced.

This rocky start wasn’t what Sasaki hoped for after dominating in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with a 2.10 ERA and a nearly 33% strikeout rate over four seasons. Although his transition to the majors hasn’t been smooth, many experts still view him as one of baseball’s bright young talents.

In terms of injury concerns, Sasaki struggled with even minor ailments during his time in Japan, rarely exceeding 130 innings in a season. Last year, he made only 18 starts due to an oblique tear and shoulder fatigue. The Dodgers have not yet provided a timeline for his return.

On a positive note, manager Dave Roberts mentioned that Clayton Kershaw is set to return to the rotation on Saturday. Kershaw will join a group that includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Landon Knack. Sasaki was scheduled to pitch on Thursday, but with Kershaw back, May or Gonsolin could step in.

As fans follow these developments, it’s interesting to note that the MLB has seen increasing injuries this season, with a survey showing a 15% rise in injuries compared to last year. This uptick raises questions about training regimens, pitching workloads, and injury prevention strategies in the league.

For more on player injuries and MLB updates, you can check trusted sources such as ESPN or CBS Sports.



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