Roki Sasaki’s rookie year is not a lost season quite yet.

A popular choice as a National League Rookie of the Year favorite before the season, the 23-year-old Sasaki has largely been out of sight and out of mind since making eight uneven starts and going on the injured list in early May with a shoulder impingement.

But Sasaki got back on a mound this week and is scheduled to throw his second bullpen session today.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sasaki has been pain-free and progressing in his throwing program at a rate that projects to a possible return in “late August.”

“He threw one (bullpen session) two days ago, and touched 90, which was great,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So it’s coming. The bullpens, the lives (live batting practice), then to get out on assignment. So, obviously, sticking to kind of a late August date is where we’re at.”

Highly sought after as an international free agent last winter, Sasaki proved less ready for the jump to the majors than projected. He was 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA in those eight starts, only rarely showing the 100-mph fastball and devastating splitter that had so many teams trying to sign him last winter.

“He’s stronger than he’s been in quite some time. So he’s in a good spot,” Roberts said.

“(His rookie season) is completely different than what any of us expected. But I think it’s what you make of it. So yeah, it hasn’t started the way he would have liked, whether it’s performance, whether it’s health. But I’m hoping he takes this as a learning experience, and knows what it takes to be successful at this level, both physically and performance-wise.”

REHAB ROUNDUP

Veteran reliever Blake Treinen made his second rehab appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. He faced five batters and gave up an unearned run, walking a batter and striking out one.

Treinen will join Blake Snell in moving their rehabs to the Dodgers’ training complex in Arizona during the All-Star break. Both are scheduled to pitch again on Tuesday.

Rotation talk

Roberts said the Dodgers’ front office and pitching coaches are still having conversations about how to line up the starting rotation when the team returns from the All-Star break. But he said Tyler Glasnow is likely to start the first game after the break (Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers) and Shohei Ohtani will pitch in one of the first five games.

— Bill Plunkett

Yankees dealing with Fried’s blister

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was unsure of the severity of Max Fried’s blister on his left index finger, a day after the All-Star left-hander left his start after three innings.

“It’s just that (a blister),” Boone said before the Yankees faced the Cubs on Sunday. “So he’ll be kind of leaning into all the modalities and all of the tricks that you try and do to deal with blisters. Then we’ll see how it lines up for what we want to line them up coming out of the break, based on just how that’s recovered.”

Fried allowed four runs — three earned — six hits and a season-high three walks in his shortest start since signing a n eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees in December. Nine of 18 hitters reached base, Fried threw only 39 of 73 pitches for strikes and fell behind with first-pitch balls to nine batters.

The three-time All-Star felt the blister on his 72nd pitch while facing Jon Berti and ended his outing by getting the infielder on a force out.

“I would say it’s still pretty early,” Fried said after the Yankees ended the first half with a 4-1 loss to the Cubs.

“We’re fortunate enough to be able to have the break to have a couple more days and see how things heal, but I’m doing everything I can to get back as soon as possible hopefully, not miss time.”

He made four trips to the injured list because of blisters on that finger during his time with the Atlanta Braves. He went 23 days between starts in 2018, 12 days each in 2019 and 2021 and 18 in 2023, including a gap between the regular season and playoffs.

Fried is 11-3 with a 2.43 ERA and became the Yankees ace after Gerrit Cole needed Tommy John surgery. He was 9-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 15 starts through June 15, but has a 4.33 ERA in his past four outings.

Fried was selected to the AL All-Star team before getting replaced on the roster by Carlos Rodón.

Fried will attend the festivities in Atlanta and the Yankees may start him in a three-game series at AL East-leading Toronto on July 21-23 after opening the second half by visiting the Braves.

SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer, Brayan Bello (6-3) pitched one-run ball into the seventh inning and the host Boston Red Sox extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 4-1, series-sweeping victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Rafaela, who hit a walk-off, two-run homer for Boston on Friday, hit his 14th homer of the season in the sixth inning. Trevor Story added a go-ahead single in the sixth.

Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson extended his hitting streak to 16 games, a club record for a rookie.

Cubs 4, Yankees 1: Shota Imanaga struck out Aaron Judge twice while pitching seven sparkling innings, leading visiting Chicago to a victory over New York.

In his fourth start since returning from a strained left hamstring, Imanaga (6-3) allowed a homer to Giancarlo Stanton in the second and a single to Austin Wells in the seventh. He struck out six and walked one.

Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson homered for the Cubs, who headed into the All-Star break with 57 wins, their most since 2008.