It’s been a challenging spring training for Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki. The 24-year-old has started three games, leading to a 13.50 ERA, a 2.70 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings pitched, per MLB.com.
Last season, Sasaki had issues as a starter before his injury, then transitioned to a bullpen role, where he found success and played a major role in the Dodgers’ World Series win in 2025.
Nonetheless, the player and the Dodgers are committed to him being a starting pitcher, but it’s been a rocky start. Still, it’s the preseason, and Sasaki can turn the situation around once games start to count.
With Opening Day a few days away, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya shared his blunt update on Sasaki as a starter.
“The thing that’s concerning with [Sasaki] being in the rotation to start the season is, what if he has one of these blowup innings early on in a regular season game? What does it do to your bullpen going forward? All that sort of stuff,” Ardaya said on the March 19 edition of “Dodgers Collective.”
“This is stuff that the Dodgers obviously can afford, especially in April and May. This was the spot they were in last year with him, and they got along just fine… They also feel that rookie Roki Sasaki’s best development is going to come in the big leagues, and they’re willing to swallow whatever lumps come their way.
“It’s a luxury that the Dodgers are in, but it’s something that you have to sort of monitor, how this is going to impact his development going forward and how long of a leash he’s going to have going into the season.”
Could Roki Sasaki Head to the Bullpen in 2026?
Moreover, Ardaya shared whether the Dodgers would consider moving Sasaki back to the bullpen, where they know the pitcher has had success. Nonetheless, that wouldn’t come until the midway part of the season.
“If you’re in that spot where you’re considering using him as a reliever, either it’s really gone poorly for him as a starter, or he got healthy in the rotation, or some combination of both,” Ardaya added. “Even then, there are still some things that have been problematic about his spring that would be problematic as a reliever.
“If he can’t command the fastball or can’t be in the zone, that’s a non‑starter, and that’s where he’s been at certain points, either looking dominant for stretches because he’s able to have that one main keystone, or he just has the inning collapse on him.
“So it’s still one of those things that if you’re the Dodgers, you still just need to get that fastball command locked in. That’s the first, second, and third most important point for him to be an effective pitcher, let alone a starter.”
Dodgers See Roki Sasaki as a Starting Pitcher
While Sasaki thrived out of the bullpen, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes noted that Los Angeles’ plan for the Japanese right-hander is to be a starting pitcher.
“Starter for sure,” Gomes told WEEI’s Rob Bradford in a Jan. 28 video. “He looks great. Velocity is really good in bullpens. He’s feeling awesome physically [and] continuing to work on the cutter and two‑seam. If he just went fastball‑split, and he could dominate. And as he rounds out the arsenal, it’s going to be really challenging for teams as he gets through the third time in the order.”
Dodgers Insider Shares Blunt Update on Roki Sasaki