Roki Sasaki Opens Up on Struggles in Dodger Stadium Debut

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki struggled in his Dodger Stadium debut. The start was anything but picturesque as the 23-year-old lasted just 1.2 innings before manager Dave Roberts made a pitching change.

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When teams sought after Sasaki this offseason, it was not because he was a finished product. He had never even thrown a single pitch in Major League Baseball.

However, after recording only five outs and walking four, Sasaki had another uncharacteristic start. He finished the outing with three hits and two runs. The right-hander threw just 32 strikes out of 61 pitches.

Command was an issue, his splitter did not fool anyone, and his velocity was down. As Sasaki made his way to the dugout, he was visibly emotional after another less than ideal start.

“I don’t expect myself to be able to fix everything in a short period of time,” Sasaki said following the Dodgers’ 7-3 victory Saturday night. “That being said, I am going to be pitching every week so I do expect as a major-league pitcher to be able to put up quality outings. But it’s something I expect myself to work on throughout.”

The rookie experience can be difficult, and the good news is the Dodgers don’t need Sasaki to be a star from the jump. However, Sasaki will face the biggest challenge of his Major League career in his next start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

While Sasaki may not be able to control the narrative surrounding his every move on the mound, he can control his response to the adversity he is facing.

The right-hander will write his own story.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant once said: “If I fail today, I’m going to learn something from that failure. I’m going to try again.”

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Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

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