I had to throw more! LAD to be listed on the Kusasaki IL after shoulder collision, and the starting lineup collapses again

May 14, 2025

I had to throw more! LAD to be listed on the Kusasaki IL after shoulder collision, and the starting lineup collapses again
LA Dodgers Roki Sasaki was listed on the 15-day IL due to a shoulder injury. Sasaki pitched against Arizona on the 10th (Korea time). AP Yonhap News



I had to throw more! LAD to be listed on the Kusasaki IL after shoulder collision, and the starting lineup collapses again
Sasaki Rocky has never thrown more than 100 miles in the U.S. mainland this year. ImagesYonhap News
Eventually, something that I was worried about happened. Some say that making a big league debut itself was unreasonable at a time when health could not be guaranteed in the first place.

Los Angeles Dodgers Japanese pitcher Loki Sasaki has been placed on the injured list (IL). The Dodgers listed Sasaki on the 15-day IL with symptoms of right shoulder impingement on the 14th (Korea time). Instead, he called up JP Fireisen from Triple-A Oklahoma City..." he announced.

Sasaki gave up five hits and two walks in four innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the 10th, his most recent appearance.




The number of pitches was 61, with a four-seam fastball speed of up to 97.5 miles and an average of 94.8 miles. The average fastball speed was 1.3 miles short of a season average of 96.1 miles. It is a restraint that cannot come out unless there is something wrong with the body. He failed to strike out any of his 20 batters.

According to manager Dave Roberts, Sasaki complained of arm pain after the game against Arizona, and eventually canceled the bullpen pitching scheduled for the 14th and took the IL.

Roberts complained to local media on the day, saying, `Physically, I felt a little pain after that. The problem we need to solve over time"As we know about what is normal and what is not normal, we need to make sure that he is in good physical and mental condition" he said.




I had to throw more! LAD to be listed on the Kusasaki IL after shoulder collision, and the starting lineup collapses again
Sasaki is pitching against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the 10th (Korea time). AFP Yonhap News
Sasaki joined the Dodgers through posting last winter after taking only 18 appearances with Chiba Lotte Marines last year due to shoulder and abdominal muscle injuries. Prior to the season, he was selected as the No. 1 candidate for the NL Rookie of the Year by leading local media, but when he opened the lid, the time to adapt to the major leagues is getting longer. Above all, physical defects with frequent injuries are holding back.

My shoulder hurts, so I can't be restrained. If your fastball slows down, your main weapon, the splitter, can easily get a sign. In the match against Arizona, only three of the 17 swings were swingers.

Sasaki made his major league debut against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome on March 19 and threw two fastballs over 100 miles. However, I have never taken a picture of 100 miles when I returned to the mainland of the United States. The top speed in the U.S. is only 98.3 miles.




MLB.com responded to Sasaki's drop in speed, saying, `Above all, the average fastball speed decreased by 3-4 miles compared to when he was in his prime in Japan. Roberts said he had physical problems and that pitching form was the cause.

There are many walks to say that he has reduced his speed to focus on his control. He allowed 22 walks and 24 strikeouts in 34 ⅓ innings so far. He hit six home runs. He allowed the most walks and home runs among Dodgers pitchers.

Sasaki knocked on the major league door as an international amateur FA under the age of 25. From the first season, he has been openly showing his experience and lack of stamina. His colleague Shohei Ohtani also applied for posting at the age of 23 and made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, but he began to stand out in 2021, that is, at the age of 26, after receiving Tommy John Surgery as a pitcher.

I had to throw more! LAD to be listed on the Kusasaki IL after shoulder collision, and the starting lineup collapses again
LA Dodgers Yoshinobu Yamamoto is considered the No. 1 candidate for the NL Cy Young Award. ImagesYonhap News
Yamamoto Yoshinobu joined the Dodgers in December 2023 after being over the age of 25 and receiving the highest ever treatment for a 12-year, $325 million pitcher, but he also had to be on the IL for nearly three months after suffering an arm injury while making his debut last year. It goes without saying that Yamamoto's one-season experience is becoming 'weak' this year. As of today, he is considered a strong candidate for the NL Cy Young Award, with 4 wins and 3 losses and a 1.80 ERA in eight games.

Sasaki, who pitched 34 ⅓ innings in eight games with a 1-1 record and a 4.72 ERA, is also expected to take a considerable amount of time to settle in the major leagues.

The Dodgers, who are excluded from the rotation of Sasaki after Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow among the starting pitchers for the opening of the season, will join the rotation with Clayton Kershaw taking the mound against the Angels on the 18th, following Yamamoto, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Landon Nyack.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.