The 24-year-old Japanese right-hander got off to a good start, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out two in two scoreless innings. But after fanning Gavin Cross to start the third, he lost control and walked three straight before manager Dave Roberts pulled him from the game.
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Roberts said he was encouraged by some aspects of Sasaki’s departure, but there needs to be more efficiency.
“You have to be able to score innings and be able to make adjustments early,” Roberts said. “I know there were some things he was working on tonight, but when you’re in the middle of a game, you have to find a way to adapt quicker. That’s something that’s probably part of the learning curve for him.”
Sasaki re-entered the fourth, a quirk allowed during spring training, and struck out two more and also gave up a two-run homer. He started the fifth, allowing a commanding double to veteran Starling Marte before leaving the game for good.
The bottom line: 3 1/3 innings, four hits, three earned runs, four walks and five strikeouts. Sasaki threw 71 pitches, including 38 for strikes.
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“There are a lot of things I need to work on, but this is just spring training,” he said through an interpreter.
Sasaki’s positive aspects are obvious. He has an electric fastball that hit 99 mph on Tuesday, a great splitter and a newly added cutter that was often effective. But there are also times when he can’t seem to repeat his throwing, leaving him prone to fits of madness.
“When it’s good, it’s really good,” Roberts said. “We’re just trying to make him more efficient in the strike zone.”
It was Sasaki’s third appearance in the Cactus League and his first since March 3. He has a 13.50 ERA this spring, allowing 10 runs in 6 2/3 innings.
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He also pitched in a game against White Sox minor leaguers on March 10 and threw four scoreless innings.
Sasaki entered his rookie year in 2025 with much fanfare, but he didn’t pitch much in the majors during the regular season, going 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in 36 1/3 erratic innings. He appeared in 10 games, eight starts, and missed more than four months due to a right shoulder impingement.
He returned in September and became a key piece of the bullpen during the postseason, allowing just one earned run in 10 2/3 innings and making three saves to help the Dodgers win their second straight World Series title.
Sasaki agreed to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus last offseason, becoming the 13th Japanese player to join the franchise.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb