"Excluded from this year's roster."

Major League Baseball (MLB) Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki (Los Angeles Dodgers) is expected to end his season early.

Sasaki moved to the injured list with right shoulder impingement syndrome after finishing a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 10 (Korean time). After three weeks of rehabilitation and treatment, he recently began playing catch but stopped pitching again. A return in the first half of the season appears difficult.

Not only is a return in the first half of the season in doubt, but the possibility of ending the season early has also been raised. Manager Dave Roberts noted, "He hasn’t regained the feel to start pitching yet. We are at a stage where we will wait until he feels ready and confident. I will not rush him to pitch unless he is convinced himself."

The Japanese sports publication Sports Hochi reported that "it has been a month since he was placed on the injured list, and there is no possibility of returning, making a return in the first half of the season unlikely." Furthermore, it predicted, "Considering the resumption of playing catch, bullpen sessions, actual game appearances, and minor league appearances, the possibility of a return during the season is also in question."

In particular, Manager Roberts expressed the intention to manage Sasaki without relying on his return, saying, "I hope he can come back and contribute to the team, but realistically, we will exclude him from this season's roster." This suggests that expectations for Sasaki's return are low. There is a clear intention not to rush his return but to end his season early.

The newspaper reported that a detailed examination at the time of Sasaki's injury found no significant problems with his bones, muscles, or ligaments. Sasaki also stated, "It's not that bad. I'm getting better every day." He added that there was still a possibility of an early return, having started playing catch in late May, but diagnosed that his slow progress had made a long-term absence certain.

Sasaki stirred controversy when he suddenly declared his entry into Major League Baseball (MLB) before last season. Eventually, the Chiba Lotte Marines reluctantly granted permission, and he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers through the posting system. He was expected to be a key figure in the starting lineup with his perfect game record, fastball reaching up to 165 km/h, and high-speed splitter. However, he only appeared in eight games, and concerns regarding his declining velocity raised durability issues. He recorded 1 win and 1 loss over 34⅓ innings with an earned run average of 4.72.

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