The Los Angeles currently have 14 pitchers on the injured list, following an offseason dedicated to addressing last year’s pitching depth concerns.
Sasaki Roki boasts a 2.10 ERA across four seasons and, at just 23 years old, possesses nearly a 2.10 splitter. Hailing from Japan’s professional baseball league, he was dubbed a unicorn. After attracting interest from 20 MLB teams, the right-handed pitcher ultimately chose to sign with LA, but struggled initially, posting a 4.72 ERA in his first eight outings with the .
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Sasaki has been placed on the injured list after experiencing a shoulder collision a month prior, and pitching coach Mark speculated that this injury has contributed to his lack of control as he enters this new phase of his career in MLB.
“Clearly, he faced challenges with it at times last year in Japan. “There are two distinct paths at play here. He overlayed development phases while attempting to compete at the major league level, which is not a straightforward process.
“I’ve noticed many players transitioning from Triple-A and the minor leagues face similar challenges. They aim to continue their development while playing at the big league level, which can be very tough and at times chaotic. I believe this may connect back to the shoulder issue.
“The velocity has consistently returned, and eventually, he began to regain confidence. We believe he needs to focus on: strengthening and conditioning his shoulder overall.”
Fastball speed became a topic of “homework” for interested MLB teams in the offseason, providing an insight into how Sasaki’s potential teams could engage with him. He inquired about the reasons behind his dropping fastball speed before the season and sought advice to prevent future occurrences.
Pit speed was an issue for Sasaki at the onset of his time with the , but he remains hopeful that as he recovers and gets back on the field, both his velocity and productivity will improve.
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Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Immagn Image
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</div>Fan Take: This news is crucial for baseball fans as it highlights the ongoing challenges teams face with injuries, especially for such a promising talent like Roki Sasaki. Monitoring his recovery will not only impact the ‘ season but also the overall landscape of pitching in Major League Baseball.
