Sasaki Rōki has experienced a breakthrough during crucial bullpen training.

After a relatively slow recovery period spanning several months, the Japanese rookie pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sasaki Rōki, is starting to see some genuine progress on his road to recovery from a right shoulder impingement injury.

Sasaki has been on the injured list since May 14 and was moved to the 60-day injured list on June 21; he has now faced a few batters. Following a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium today, this right-handed pitcher stated that he feels "no pain."

“I feel pretty good,” Sasaki said through translator Will Ireton. “Right now, I’m just focusing on the mechanical aspects of pitching.”

Sasaki's next plan is to conduct a three-inning simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. If all goes well, he will begin a rehabilitation schedule, which will start the countdown to his return.

“As far as I know, we’re going to try to get him to pitch five or six innings before making a decision,” said head coach Dave Roberts.

It is still uncertain how Sasaki will be scheduled upon his eventual return (possibly sometime next month).

With Blake Snell's return, the Dodgers now have six active starting pitchers, including swingman Emmet Sheehan, who started today’s game against the Cardinals. Sheehan will at least get one more opportunity in the rotation, and Sasaki's eventual return to starting will be another factor the Los Angeles team needs to consider.

When asked if Sasaki has a chance to return in a long relief role, Roberts emphasized that the team views Sasaki as a starting pitcher. However, Sasaki understands that nothing can be taken for granted.

“My intention is to get back on the mound in the big leagues again,” Sasaki said. “That said, I do need to fight for that opportunity. I don’t think I’ll get that chance right away. So this month is really important for me, as I will be facing hitters consistently.”

As the Dodgers' biggest offseason acquisition, Sasaki's immense success in Japanese professional baseball has not yet fully translated to the major leagues. In eight starts, the 23-year-old has an ERA of 4.72, a WHIP of 1.49, with walks (22) and strikeouts (24) nearly even.

Sasaki admits that he has faced growing pains while adapting to American baseball and hopes that improvements in his physical condition will help him regain some of the velocity he has been missing.

“Compared to Japanese hitters, American hitters have different strategies in the batter's box, so I can’t attack them the same way I did in Japan,” Sasaki said. “At the same time, they also have different strengths and weaknesses. So I’m working hard to have more diversity in how I approach hitters.”

One adjustment includes adding a two-seam fastball to his arsenal, which previously consisted of a four-seam fastball, a splitter, and a slider. Roberts noted that this was a result of discussions with pitching coaches and was inspired by teammate and fellow countryman Shohei Ohtani's use of three types of fastballs.

“Having two distinct fastballs—one that could induce swings and misses and another that could create ground balls—is a great asset,” Roberts said.

Most importantly, both Sasaki and the Dodgers are optimistic that this time off has given him a chance to readjust physically and mentally, and the adversity he has faced will provide valuable lessons on how to become a better baseball player.

“I look forward to seeing him throw strikes with precision, pitch with confidence, and perform better,” Roberts said, “that’s what we’ve learned from the experiences of the first month of this season.”