Roki Sasaki’s recent announcement of his marriage during Dodgers spring training mirrors the surprise that Shohei Ohtani delivered to his team last year. The young Japanese pitcher revealed his marital status, catching even Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts off guard.
“What? I didn’t know he had a girlfriend,” Roberts exclaimed on Friday when asked if he had prepared a wedding gift for Sasaki. “Well, congratulations. … The wedding gift will be on the way after I meet his wife.”
Sasaki made the announcement through an Instagram post written in Japanese, where he chose not to disclose his wife’s name or any specifics about their wedding. He did, however, mention that she is not a public figure.
At just 23 years old, Sasaki’s unexpected wedding news comes a year after Ohtani’s own revelation during Dodgers spring training. Ohtani had shocked his teammates when he shared his marriage on Instagram, later identifying his wife as a former professional basketball player from Japan.
Sasaki recently joined the Dodgers on a minor-league contract, which included a $6.5 million signing bonus as part of Major League Baseball’s international amateur free agent rules. His swift rise in the baseball world has made headlines, and this personal milestone adds another layer to his growing profile.
