Sasaki was given a recommendation to undergo Tommy John surgery by a doctor prior to his first season with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports. Sasaki decided against having the operation and eventually discovered the issue was shoulder-related,

The Dodgers have invested hundreds of millions of dollars this winter to improve a roster that just won the World Series. It’s enough of a spending spree to put Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner in the same class as every other owner in MLB.