Back in mid-June, when Roki Sasaki went down with a right shoulder issue, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was blunt: “The mindset should be, we have to plan on life without him as far as this year.” At the time, Los Angeles braced itself for the possibility that Sasaki’s debut MLB season might be over before it truly began.
Two months later, there’s at least some good news—Sasaki has returned to the mound. On August 14, the 22-year-old made his first rehab start for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club against Reno. The results, however, raised more questions than answers.
Over two innings, Sasaki threw 41 pitches, allowing three runs on six hits with one walk. More concerning than the box score was the stuff itself: his fastball averaged just 92–94 mph, down notably from the upper-90s velocity that once made him Japan’s most electric pitcher. His command also lagged—only 25 of those 41 pitches went for strikes. For a pitcher already battling control issues in the majors (22 walks in just 34.1 innings prior to the injury, compared to only 24 strikeouts), that’s not a promising early sign.
Roberts, appearing on the Foul Territory podcast, didn’t sugarcoat the situation: “We gotta build him up, number one. We gotta get that velocity up. Once we get to three or four outings, we need to start to see performance. At the end of the day, we’re going to go with our 13 best pitchers. His talent is there, certainly. But he’s also got to perform, too.”
Dave Roberts said on @LADTerritory that the Dodgers will need to start seeing some performance from Roki Sasaki around his 3rd/4th rehab outing. pic.twitter.com/wStAizFbGu
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 18, 2025
It’s an ultimatum for Sasaki—and a reminder that reputation alone won’t secure a place on a first-place Dodgers roster.
So, what’s next for Sasaki?
Sasaki is expected to make his next rehab appearance between August 19–24, likely stretching out to three or four innings against the Tacoma Rainiers. The Dodgers want to see not only progress in his workload, but also signs of his old velocity and sharper command.
Competition for the Dodgers rotation spots couldn’t be tougher at this point.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto remains the staff ace, carrying a 10–8 record with a 2.84 ERA. Tyler Glasnow continues to provide dominant outings; his five-inning, one-walk, eight-strikeout effort versus the Padres last week highlighted his value. Blake Snell, after battling early-season setbacks, has found his groove with a 1.80 ERA across five starts. Clayton Kershaw, the franchise icon, is sharpening into form again—undefeated in his last three turns.
And then there’s Shohei Ohtani, the ultimate X-factor, giving the Dodgers the flexibility to deploy him both on the mound and in the lineup. His August 6 outing against St. Louis—four innings, one earned run, and eight strikeouts—was another reminder of just how dangerous he can be.
This rotation already runs five deep. Which means, if Sasaki wants to break in, his best chance is to outpitch Emmet Sheehan, currently holding the sixth spot. Sheehan has shown flashes but carries a 3.86 ERA, and his last outing—a five-run stumble against the Angels—left the door cracked open.
Still, with multiple relievers also working their way back, Sasaki isn’t just vying against Sheehan. He’s battling for one of 13 staff spots, period
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