Why now?
Why did Roki Sasaki insist on coming to the major leagues this winter?
The answer, the 23-year-old Sasaki confirmed at his introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, was related to elbow problems he experienced as a first-year player on the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan.
Sasaki, who was 18 at the time, encountered difficulties rehabilitating a strained muscle in his right arm. His slow recovery prompted him to visit multiple hospitals.
Read more: ‘They all wanted him here.’ How Shohei Ohtani, other Dodgers helped recruit Roki Sasaki
At one point, Sasaki was advised by a doctor to undergo Tommy John surgery.
Sasaki never had the operation, but the incident shaped his thinking. Years later, he found himself thinking about how he didn’t want to risk suffering a career-altering injury before pitching in the world’s most competitive league.
“You hear many voices that say I should have waited two more years [to come to the United States], but there are of course no guarantees about my condition in those two years,” Sasaki said in Japanese.
The burden of protecting the most talented arm ever produced in Japan officially shifted from the Marines to the Dodgers, who are aware of the responsibility they have inherited. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Sasaki has the talent to realize his ambition of becoming the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young Award. General manager Brandon Gomes compared the 102.5-mph fireballer to Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Friedman and Gomes also know Sasaki is as fragile as he is gifted, and their team is now tasked with developing him without breaking him.
Read more: Dodgers officially welcome Roki Sasaki, plan to ‘hit the ground running’ with pitcher
While the Dodgers have transformed several mid-level prospects into legitimate major league pitchers, an alarming number of them have broken down in recent years. Last season alone, Emmet Sheehan, Kyle Hurt and River Ryan underwent reconstructive elbow surgeries.
Was Sasaki concerned?
“I’ve had numerous minor injuries in Japan, and I don’t think that’s solely a result of the direction of the team,” Sasaki said. “I think there are many things I can do myself, and things that I can improve. Of course, there’s uneasiness,…