Shohei Ohtani's teammate Roki Sasaki makes massive 5-figure donation to support Japan wildfire relief efforts

Shohei Ohtani's teammate and fellow countryman Roki Sasaki is making a huge donation to combat wildfires in Japan. The region where Sasaki and Ohtani are from has been maligned by fire recently.

Los Angeles, which they will both call home for at least the next few seasons together, was also hit with wildfires in January. Ohtani donated money to that cause and Sasaki is donating to the one close to his old home.

Per FNN, Sasaki has given 10 million yen and 500 sets of bedding to the Iwate Prefecture. That amount translates to over $66,000. Sasaki is from Rikuzentakata City and lived in Ofunato City in his younger years, and he's giving back after signing an MLB contract.

Sasaki also graduated from Ikawa Elementary School in Ofunato City, a place being used as a shelter for evacuated citizens who are in the path of the wildfires.

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With Shohei Ohtani back, Roki Sasaki's spring debut is nearing

The LA Dodgers just got Shohei Ohtani back. Although still not pitching in any game action, Ohtani returned to the lineup as a DH on Friday following offseason shoulder surgery and he homered in his first at-bat.

Next up is the spring debut of Roki Sasaki, the newest highly-touted Japanese star set to make his mark with the Dodgers. Sasaki's first start is slated for Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds.

Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki will both be active soon (Imagn)

When he and Ohtani are both in the rotation, they'll have three of the most beloved Japanese pitchers, along with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, that won't be for a little while.

LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes Ohtani will be able to return to form despite a second Tommy John surgery.

“I think the velocity will be there, he’ll have a feel for his pitches," Roberts said in October, via the Los Angeles Times. "I’ve really never seen anyone as competitive as Shohei, so I would expect him to be the same pitcher, as he’s expecting himself to be the pitcher he was when he was healthy.”

Ohtani is targeting a May return to the rotation to join Sasaki and Yamamoto, as well as Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell.