Roki Sasaki has 'Things to Work On' after first spring training start

"There were some positive things, but also things I need to work on. In the bullpen, I felt pretty good about the forkball but once I got on the mound, it didn't go well. And the four-seam, I felt pretty good in the bullpen but once I got on the mound, it felt a little off."

"Sasaki has had trouble as a starting pitcher during his short MLB career, posting a 4.72 ERA through eight starts last season. He moved to relief pitching after returning from injury in 2025, and performed much better than he had before. Throughout his time in the bullpen, Sasaki allowed just a single run through 11.2 innings pitched to round out the regular season and postseason."

"The Dodgers have a big choice coming up for them, as they will have to decide who fills out the back end of their rotation in the coming season. Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow make up two-thirds of the six-man rotation, leaving two spots for the Dodgers' other starters."

Roki Sasaki made his first start for the Los Angeles Dodgers since May 2025 against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, but had a disappointing outing. He allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three batters, lasting only 1.1 innings instead of the planned two. Sasaki acknowledged both positive and negative aspects of his performance, noting that while his forkball and four-seam fastball felt good during warm-ups, their execution on the mound fell short. Despite his struggles as a starter with a 4.72 ERA through eight starts last season, Sasaki excelled in relief pitching after returning from injury in 2025, allowing just one run through 11.2 innings. He will focus on improving his starting role as he competes for a rotation spot with the Dodgers.

Read at Dodgers Nation