Dave Roberts addressed the media following a recent outing, touching on several aspects of his club's performance, including the continued contributions of Shohei Ohtani — though the most notable thread of the session centered on how Los Angeles Dodgers has been managing Roki Sasaki through a stretch of knee discomfort in the first half of the season.
Roberts noted that Sasaki has done an admirable job of taking care of himself during this period, and that the club has scaled back his running workload as a precaution. Despite those adjustments, Roberts expressed genuine admiration for what Sasaki has continued to deliver on the offensive side, describing his sustained production as impressive given the circumstances.
Sasaki, speaking separately in his own press availability, described the knee issue in some detail. He indicated that the area of concern is around the kneecap, and that he experiences restrictions at both maximum flexion and maximum extension. He noted that the condition fluctuates from day to day, and that he and the team have been monitoring it closely over the past several weeks. He also mentioned that an upcoming four-to-five-day rest period around the All-Star break could be beneficial for recovery.
On the topic of the All-Star Game itself, Sasaki confirmed he will not participate. He explained that the decision was reached in consultation with the club, and that he had accepted the outcome. He conveyed a sense of regret toward the fans who had voted for him, acknowledging that those who cast ballots did so because they wanted to see him play, and that being unable to appear weighs on him.
Elsewhere in his session, Roberts spoke positively about Eduardo Rodriguez, saying Rodriguez has had an outstanding year and that, when healthy, he operates at a clear major-league level. Roberts also confirmed that Yoshinobu Yamamoto is lined up to take the mound in the next outing, and that the club would discuss potential roster moves to address pitching depth heading into the break.