Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Just as it appeared the Los Angeles Dodgers would at last have a complete starting rotation, Roki Sasaki was placed on the 15-day injured list because of a blister on the middle finger of his right hand.
The blister issue ended Sasaki’s start against the Atlanta Braves at just 3.1 innings. While he is now due to miss a minimum of 15 days, Sasaki is mindful of avoiding a setback with the healing process despite having prior history with blisters, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group.
“Yeah, that’s right. Healing can work a bit differently here compared to when I was in Japan, so it’s hard to say right now how long it will take to recover,” Sasaki said in Japanese on Wednesday night. “We shouldn’t rush it. I’ll need to monitor the situation and my progress while keeping an eye on the schedule.
“There were times in the past when returning too early actually made things worse. Taking those experiences into account, I’ll sit down with the trainers and coaches to discuss the best path forward.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts echoed a similar sentiment and noted the team wasn’t yet sure of when the right-hander would return.
Sasaki also revealed he did not feel the blister until his start at Truist Park, which was unlike past experiences as well. He wound up retiring just one of four batters faced prior to being removed in the fourth inning.
“When I was facing the first hitter in the fourth inning, I actually didn’t feel anything coming beforehand,” Sasaki said through an interpreter after the Dodgers’ loss. “My skin just ripped off, and after that it was getting worse.”
Sasaki entered the night having gone 5-5 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 22 starts this season. He had been much improved since the All-Star break and allowed two earned runs or fewer in all six outings over that span before facing the Braves.
Roki Sasaki role change?
How much time Sasaki’s blister will cause him to miss could ultimately lead to pitching out of the bullpen. That was a possibility anyhow if the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow were all healthy come October.
Though, Roberts did note the expectation was for Sasaki to continue playing catch while wearing a protective cover on his blister for the time being.
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