Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Better in second rehab outing
Rotowire
Sasaki (shoulder) threw 3.1 innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out two batters.
Sasaki struggled with his control Wednesday, throwing a modest 39 of his 60 pitches for strikes. However, he had better results than in his previous appearance with OKC, when he allowed three runs over two-plus frames. The rookie right-hander's fastball averaged 96 mph Wednesday after it sat in the 93-94 mph range in his first rehab start. Despite the step forward, it doesn't seem like Sasaki is ready to return to the big-league roster. The Dodgers' rotation has gotten mostly healthy since he's been shelved, and Emmet Sheehan has filled in capably as the sixth starter, so Sasaki doesn't have a clear role available once he's physically ready to return.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Struggles in first rehab outing
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Sasaki (shoulder) tossed two-plus innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk with zero strikeouts.
The outing was Sasaki's first game action since he went four innings in a start for the big-league Dodgers against Arizona on May 9. The right-hander needed 41 pitches Wednesday to retire six batters, and he departed after allowing the first two batters he faced in the third frame to reach base. While he reportedly hit 97 mph with his fastball in a sim game last week, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register, Sasaki's velocity settled in the 93-94 mph range in the rehab outing and topped out at 95.7 mph while inducing just two whiffs. Though this was an important step for Sasaki in his quest to return to the majors before the end of the season, the results suggest that he has a ways to go before he's ready to face big-league hitters again.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Will embark on rehab assignment
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Sasaki (shoulder) will begin a rehab a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Sasaki threw three simulated innings Friday without any issue, and he is ready to take the next step in his throwing program by starting a rehab assignment. Three innings is the target for the right-hander, who has been on the shelf since mid-May due to a right shoulder impingement. Sasaki will likely need at least three rehab starts before he's ready to be activated from the IL. In his eight starts prior to his injury, Sasaki posted a 1-1 record with a 4.72 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 24:22 K:BB across 34.1 innings.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Throws three sim innings Friday
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Sasaki (shoulder) tossed three simulated innings against hitters Friday at Dodger Stadium, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Sasaki hurled 46 pitches in the session and touched 97 mph with his fastball, per Plunkett. The latter number is particularly promising, as the rookie right-hander is now right around the velocity he displayed prior to going on the injured list in mid-May. According to Sonja Chen of MLB.com, Sasaki could next begin a minor-league rehab assignment if he comes out of Friday's session without any issues, though it's also possible he could be asked to throw another live bullpen. Chen also relays that manager Dave Roberts indicated the team wants to see Sasaki be more confident in his delivery.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Will face hitters this weekend
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Sasaki (shoulder) is scheduled to face hitters at the Dodgers' complex in Arizona this weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
The rookie right-hander began throwing bullpens in mid-July and has progressed enough to move onto the next step in his recovery from a right shoulder impingement. This will be Sasaki's first time facing live hitters since he landed on the injured list in mid-May. It's expected that Sasaki will need to make at least three minor-league rehab outings before he's ready to be activated from the IL, so the earliest he's likely to return to the Dodgers is late August.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Not quite ready to face hitters
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Sasaki (shoulder) is expected to throw at least one more bullpen session before facing living hitters, per MLB.com.
The Dodgers are being careful not to rush Sasaki back, so the rookie right-hander will toss at least one more bullpen after getting up to 39 pitches in his most recent session. Sasaki hasn't pitched in a game since May 9, and he's presumably still several weeks away from being activated. According to Sonja Chen of MLB.com, Sasaki will eventually be slated for 3-to-4 minor-league rehab starts, during which he'll work up to the five-inning, 75-pitch range. The hope is that he'll be ready to return before the end of August.
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: On track to face hitters next week
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Sasaki (shoulder) threw a 39-pitch bullpen session Wednesday and is on track to face hitters at the team's spring training complex next week, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
Sasaki resumed mound work in mid-July and he will throw another bullpen session this weekend before progressing to facing hitters. The right-hander reportedly was topping out at 90 miles per hour in previous bullpen sessions, which is notably down from the norm, but it's not clear what his velocity looked like Wednesday. Sasaki has been sidelined since mid-May with a right shoulder impingement.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Reaching 90 mph in bullpens
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Sasaki (shoulder) has been reaching 90 mph with his fastball in recent bullpen sessions, per MLB.com.
Though Sasaki is capable of touching triple digits with his heater when he's fully ramped up, this update nonetheless indicates that the rookie right-hander is making progress in his recovery from a right shoulder impingement. Sasaki is said to be pain-free, though he's been throwing off a mound for only about a week and has yet to face live hitters, so he likely remains weeks away from a return. Should he continue to progress without any setbacks, Sasaki could be back with the Dodgers in late August.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that he believes Sasaki (shoulder) could be ready to return from the 60-day injured list around late August, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
Roberts noted that Sasaki is pain-free and was able to throw his first bullpen session Friday since he landed on the injured list May 13, but the Dodgers nonetheless appear content to take a slow and deliberate approach with ramping the rookie back up as he recovers from a right shoulder impingement. Sasaki is scheduled to throw another side session Monday, and he could be another week or two away from facing hitters in live batting practice before heading out on what will presumably be an extended minor-league rehab assignment. Given his poor numbers (4.72 ERA, 1.49 WHIP in 34.1 innings over eight starts) prior to landing on the shelf, Sasaki may not be in line for a spot in the Los Angeles rotation once he returns from the 60-day IL.
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Upping velocity from flat ground
Rotowire
In a pregame interview Friday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Sasaki's (shoulder) velocity while throwing from flat ground has "ticked up" to the upper-80s but indicated that the rookie hurler isn't yet ready for mound work, per The Dodgers Bleed Los Podcast.
Sasaki has been on the IL due to a right shoulder impingement since May 13, and he has had his throwing program paused on two separate occasions. However, the right-hander resumed playing catch June 20 and seems to be taking positive steps toward a return. Roberts stated Friday that Sasaki is "kind of letting it rip" from flat ground but indicated that it's "too early" for him to be ready for mound work. It's not yet clear when Sasaki will be able to take that step, but it at least appears that he's on track to be part of the Dodgers' pitching staff at some point during the second half of the campaign.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Restarts throwing program
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Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Sasaki (shoulder) has restarted his throwing program by playing catch from 60-to-90 feet, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Sasaki paused his throwing program last week due to feeling uncomfortable ramping up to full intensity, but he'll now give it another shot after sitting down for a few days. The 23-year-old righty will likely remain without a defined return timeline until he begins throwing off a mound or facing hitters, but he's guaranteed to be out through the All-Star break after moving to the 60-day IL on Friday.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Moves to 60-day IL
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Sasaki (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander has already been on the shelf over a month due to a shoulder impingement and recently had his throwing program shut down, so he was already likely to be sidelined beyond 60 days. Sasaki's return timeline is likely to remain murky until he's able to ramp his throwing program back up.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Throwing program shut down
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Sasaki (shoulder) halted his throwing program a few days ago, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Per Ardaya, Roberts noted that Sasaki is "pain-free" and isn't dealing with any sort of setback with his shoulder that will warrant further testing, but the rookie right-hander indicated that he doesn't feel comfortable yet throwing at full intensity. Initially placed on the injured list May 13 due to a right shoulder impingement, Sasaki resumed throwing two weeks later but hadn't advanced beyond playing catch before he shut himself down. At this stage, Sasaki doesn't look like he'll have enough time to get stretched back out and return from the IL before the All-Star break, and if he's unable to resume throwing early on in the second half, his availability for the remainder of the season would be in serious jeopardy. Sasaki went 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 24:22 K:BB in 34.1 innings over his eight starts before being shelved.
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