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Injuries have been a key culprit for why the Los Angeles Dodgers have performed slightly below their historic expectations so far this year. Los Angeles is still sitting pretty with a 60-43 record after a recent win over the Minnesota Twins, but they haven't been quite as dominant as expected after their impressive offseason following the 2024 World Series.
One of those offseason acquisitions was Japanese star pitcher Roki Sasaki, who started the second game of the season for the Dodgers but has been out of the lineup since early May with a shoulder impingement.
However, it isn't all bad news on the Sasaki injury front, as recently Dodgers manager Dave Roberts “said the extended time on the injured list has allowed Roki Sasaki to improve his mechanics,” per Matthew Moreno of Dodger Blue on X, formerly Twitter.
“From what I've heard from the pitching guys, the delivery is much more consistent. I think that lends itself to the strength he has now. He's gotten much stronger,” said Roberts about Sasaki.
Sasaki was one of several key free agents the Dodgers signed in the 2024-25 offseason, giving them the rare distinction of being a World Series champion who got markedly better the following year.
However, the injury bug has been brutal to the Dodgers this year, with several pitchers, including fellow offseason acquisition Blake Snell, dealing with ailments at times this year.
The constant injuries have caused some to wonder whether the Dodgers may be more aggressive than initially expected at the upcoming MLB trade deadline, which is slated for July 31.
In any case, the Dodgers will certainly hope to get Sasaki back sooner rather than later, and evidently, he'll bring some improved mechanics along with him when he does return.
The Dodgers will next take the field on Friday on the road against the Boston Red Sox for the first of a three-game series against their 2018 World Series opponents.
