The Los Angeles Dodgers paused right-hander Roki Sasaki¡¯s rehab program and indicated the rookie may not return this season.
Sasaki, 23, landed on the 15-day injured list on May 13 with an impingement in his right shoulder.
He went 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA in eight starts before the injury, fanning 24 batters and walking 22 in 34 1/3 innings.
Manager Dave Roberts said Sasaki stopped playing catch this weekend and there is no timeline for him to resume throwing.
¡°Being thrust here into this environment certainly was a big undertaking for him. And then you layer in the health part of it, and then you layer he¡¯s a starting pitcher, the buildup, what that entails,¡± Roberts said. ¡°I think that that¡¯s the prudent way to go about it. Whatever we get from him, and expecting him to be back, obviously, and contributing.
¡°But I think, yeah, the mindset should be we got to plan on life without him, as far as this year.¡±
Sasaki joined the Dodgers in January after four successful seasons with Japan¡¯s Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan. He received a $6.5 million signing bonus and is earning a rookie salary this season of $760,000.
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