The Los Angeles Dodgers are stubbornly sticking by pitcher Roki Sasaki, even as he has failed to impress as a starter.
Sasaki is in his second year in MLB after a rocky rookie year with the Dodgers. He made a handful of starts before hitting the injured list.
The righty moved into the bullpen for the postseason due to the team’s need for reliable arms, and he shone with his reliable two-pitch combination.
However, according to reporting from The California Post‘s Dylan Hernandez, Sasaki made the move into the bullpen under a specific pretense — the Dodgers would give him the chance to be a starting pitcher in 2026.
“Sasaki agreed to pitch in relief under the condition that he be given an opportunity to start this year,” Hernandez wrote in the story.
Sasaki has pitched 6.2 innings during spring training, walking nine batters and striking out 10 in Cactus League games.
He has allowed nine hits and 10 runs charged to his name over three starts. His command has been totally shot at times. His mechanics cannot be repeated, which can lead to a loss of feel.
The Japanese pitcher is only 24 years old, though, and he is adding a new pitch to his arsenal: his cutter. Also, his fastball velocity is consistent at around 98 mph, though it is short of his peak in Japan.
Roki Sasaki’s support
The Dodgers are certainly living up to their word when it comes to supporting Sasaki, with manager Dave Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman defending him amid calls for a demotion to the minor leagues
“Roki is an extremely talented young starting pitcher and there is still development left – as there is with a lot of talented young players,” Friedman said.
“For us, as we are trying to balance our roster looking into 2026 and beyond, and we are trying to integrate talented young players onto our roster, we’re going to have to approach it with some patience and be really mindful of short-term and long-term goals.
“We’re going to have the same challenges with young position players and young pitchers. For us to maintain success as far as we can look out, it is imperative.”
Roberts, meanwhile, has remained steadfast in his stance that Sasaki will be a starter, despite his most recent start against the Royals on Tuesday, which led to his being pulled from the game.
“He is going to start the season in the rotation,” Roberts said
It is up to Sasaki to make the Dodgers right for their blind, unwavering faith in him, even as they risk looking foolish.
