The Los Angeles Dodgers officially announced the signing of Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki on Wednesday. Last Friday, Sasaki announced on social media that he intended to sign a free-agent deal with the Dodgers.

Sasaki's nickname is a tribute to legendary Japanese starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was known as the "Monster of the Heisei," referring to different eras of the Japanese calendar. The 23-year-old lost both his father and grandfather during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.