“Would expect more” - Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts unloads on Roki Sasaki’s Triple-A struggles amid postseason push

Roki Sasaki is looking unlikely to return for the LA Dodgers this season following his dismal outings in the minors. The Japanese ace has been out since May because of right shoulder impingement.

Sasaki resumed throwing competitively with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City. He has so far thrown four rehab starts, accruing a 7.07 ERA in 14 innings.

In the latest update coming from Dave Roberts, the Dodgers manager hinted Sasaki might not return to the starting rotation if he doesn't come up with a dominant performance soon.

“I am surprised. Because the talent level is certainly there,” Roberts said Wednesday, per the OC Register. “The performance, the stuff hasn’t been there. I think there needs to be a tick up in stuff. And also against Triple-A hitters, you would expect more."

Roberts cited that his current starting rotation, comprising the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, is doing well, so it will be hard to find a spot for Sasaki.

“I guess the bar is high right now, because we’re in a pennant race,” Roberts said. “So to warrant pitching on our staff right now, there’s got to be urgency on his part and really dominant performance. That’s the level of where we’re at right now. That’s why, personally, I feel confident in speaking of certain expectations for Roki.

“Like I said a couple weeks ago, we’ve got to go with our best guys. And this is the time, right now. And again, Roki has gone through a lot this year. And he still has a ton of talent. We just want to see more.”

How has Roki Sasaki performed in his last two rehab starts?

In his third rehab start on Aug. 27, Roki Sasaki averaged 96.4 mph on his fastball (topping 98.8 mph). He logged 3.2 innings with four earned runs, four strikeouts and two walks. His splitter induced seven swing-and-misses.

Meanwhile, in his latest start earlier this week, he allowed back-to-back two-run homers early. He finished his outing with five innings, retiring 11 of his final 12 batters. Still, his ERA hovers around 7.07 through 14 rehab innings, with an 8:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Sasaki will start one more game, which could be where his 2025 season's future could be decided. If he does well, he could be activated, or else he might not get to enjoy the postseason with his countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.