The Los Angeles Dodgers paused right-hander Roki Sasaki’s rehab program and indicated the rookie may not return this season.

Sasaki, 23, landed on the 15-day injured list on May 13 with an impingement in his right shoulder.

He went 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA in eight starts before the injury, fanning 24 batters and walking 22 in 34 1/3 innings.

Manager Dave Roberts said Sasaki stopped playing catch this weekend and there is no timeline for him to resume throwing.

“Being thrust here into this environment certainly was a big undertaking for him. And then you layer in the health part of it, and then you layer he’s a starting pitcher, the buildup, what that entails,” Roberts said. “I think that that’s the prudent way to go about it. Whatever we get from him, and expecting him to be back, obviously, and contributing.

“But I think, yeah, the mindset should be we got to plan on life without him, as far as this year.”

Sasaki joined the Dodgers in January after four successful seasons with Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan. He received a $6.5 million signing bonus and is earning a rookie salary this season of $760,000.

REUTERS