Imagine a team that was projected to be the best due to their planned six-man rotation is now struggling to even field their elite pitchers. Remember the Dodgers’ famed starting rotation at the start of the season? It had Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki. But guess what? None of them is pitching right now.
Snell and Glasnow are out with injuries, while Ohtani is yet to get back to the mound. And Roki Sasaki? Well, things aren’t that well with him either.
Sasaki was the name that was under the spotlight on the MLB draft day. A generational talent whose arrival was billed as the next great chapter in the league. But the 23-year-old is now facing uncertainty, as a new update from the manager Dave Roberts has stirred concern.
“We have to plan on life without him at least this year, that’s fair to say,” Roberts said when asked about Sasaki’s availability.
“We have to plan on life without him at least this year, that’s fair to say.”
– Dave Roberts on if the Dodgers have to prepare for Roki Sasaki not being a part of their long-term plan this season.
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 15, 2025
For the unversed, Sasaki hasn’t pitched since April 16. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. While he initially resumed light throwing roughly two weeks after landing on the injured list, he didn’t progress beyond that before experiencing discomfort again.
The Japanese phenom has now, reportedly, halted his throwing program entirely. And as Roberts said, his availability for the remainder of the 2025 season is now in serious doubt.
For the Dodgers, losing a player who posted a 1-1 record, 4.72 ERA, and 1.49 WHIP over 34.1 innings this season would surely be a big setback. But what does the future hold now?
Well, with most of their projected elite rotation on the shelf, the Dodgers are now stitching a rotation out of necessity. The current group features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Ben Casparius, and the soon-to-be-activated Emmet Sheehan, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
While Yamamoto continues to impress and Kershaw remains a stabilizing presence when healthy, this version of the rotation is far from what the Dodgers envisioned in March. The only ray of hope left for the team is Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound.
The Dodgers’ pitching now needs an Ohtani punch
Well, Shohei Ohtani is inching closer to a return that may reshape the Dodgers’ season. The two-way superstar is on track to make his first pitching appearance in nearly a year. And what’s more is his comeback might potentially be within the next two weeks, as per the latest reports. Yes, well before the All-Star break.
Ohtani is slated to throw another live batting practice session this week. A critical step in what has been a carefully managed recovery from his second elbow surgery. Now, if all goes well, the Dodgers could soon be welcoming back one of the most unique weapons in baseball, just as their rotation depth is being pushed to its limits.
Ohtani hasn’t pitched since August 2023, but the timing of his comeback couldn’t be more crucial. The Dodgers are running short on healthy arms, and his return would bring not just star power but much-needed stability to the rotation.
There might be another arm joining the Dodgers’ rotation soon. Emmet Sheehan, who was sidelined since spring training of 2024 following Tommy John surgery, is about to complete his rehab assignment and is expected to be activated this week.
As per Roberts, there’s a very high likelihood that Sheehan will rejoin the club to fill a rotation spot as early as Tuesday or Wednesday. In a season where the Dodgers rotation has been battered by injuries, the addition of these two players could be a key step toward restoring balance.
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