Roki Sasaki's shocking marriage announcement leaves Dodgers manager Dave Roberts at loss for words

The Los Angeles Dodgers' offseason acquisition Roki Sasaki announced his marriage on Friday, becoming the second Dodgers player to announce the next chapter of his life during Spring Training after Shohei Ohtani last year.

Sasaki's announcement took many by surprise including Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. When the two-time time World Series-winning manager was asked what gift he had in mind for Sasaki, Roberts was shocked to learn about the Japanese hurler's marriage:

“What? I didn’t know he had a girlfriend,” Roberts responded to reporters. “Well, congratulations. ... The wedding gift will be on the way, after I meet his wife.”

The 23-year-old pitcher announced his wedding in an Instagram post on Friday. He captioned the post with a message in Japanese, translated to:

“Thank you for your continued support. “The other day, I registered my marriage with an ordinary woman. I'm full of expectations and anxiety as it's a new start for both my work and private life. We will work hard as a couple, so please keep a warm eye on us."

Roki Sasaki didn't reveal the name or post any pictures of his wife and she is expected to be a commoner. Sasaki's announcement is very similar to what his senior teammate and two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani did last year.

The three-time MVP made a surprise announcement of his marriage in February and didn't reveal any details about his partner. He later revealed her to be former Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka.

Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto surprised by Roki Sasaki's marriage announcement

Roki Sasaki was a hot commodity in the offseason and was heavily pursued by several MLB teams after he was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines (NPB) to become an international amateur free agent. His sweepstakes concluded with the Dodgers signing the coveted pitcher on a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus.

Sasaki became the third Japanese pitcher on the Dodgers roster after the arrival of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the previous offseason. The 23-year-old revealed the reaction of his compatriots after learning about his marriage.

"They were surprised. They did not believe me at first," Sasaki said on Friday.

Roki Sasaki is expected to be a part of the Dodgers rotation for their Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs next month and is likely to start the second game of the series. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to start the first game in Japan.