SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The Los Angeles Dodgers I couldn’t stop raving Roki Sasaki all spring, believing he was becoming the star pitcher they had envisioned all along when they won the sweepstakes for his services a year ago.
Well, Sasaki did nothing to inspire the same euphoria, much less the same confidence, on Wednesday, as he struggled in his spring training debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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Sasaki was hit hard, often and had difficulty controlling his opponent. He allowed three hits, including two doubles, and three runs in the first five. Diamond back hitters he faced. He threw just 17 of his 36 pitches for strikes, walking two batters with three strikeouts. He was scheduled to pitch two innings, but only lasted four outs.
“I thought he was overthrowing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after their 10-7 victory, keeping them undefeated (5-0) this spring. “I haven’t seen that all spring.”
Roberts, who was thrilled with Sasaki’s bullpen sessions during his media session Wednesday morning, wasn’t panicking about his performance, saying he could have simply been overcome by an adrenaline rush during his first outing. But Roberts also isn’t going to just hand him a starting job until he proves he deserves it. Sasaki pitched just 36.2 innings for the Dodgers last season, spending four months in the minor leagues while overcoming a shoulder injury.
“I think the first thing,” Roberts said, “is he just needs to mix (the pitches) better. He needs to master the fastball. … Honestly, I thought today was the first day he got off his mechanics. He just didn’t have the feel or control of that fastball.
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Scouts in attendance also criticized Sasaki’s performance, saying he showed a lack of confidence in his body language, with one saying: “He looked scared to death.”
Sasaki’s fastball reached 98.6 mph, but there was no movement, with Sasaki giving up two of the strikes with an exit velocity of 105 mph.
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“In the bullpen, I felt pretty good with the forkball,” Sasaki said, “but once I got on the mound, it didn’t go well. And with the four-seamer, I felt pretty good in the bullpen, but once I got on the mound, I felt a little off.
Roberts made it clear to Sasaki that he needed to master at least three pitches in his arsenal if he wanted to be a regular in the Dodgers’ ultra-talented starting rotation. Sasaki tries to incorporate a slider to go along with the fastball and splitter, throwing his new pitch seven times in Wednesday’s game.
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“I’m really impressed with Roki in the sense that he’s had a lot of success with both pitches,” Roberts said, “but he’s got to be open and understand that if he wants to be a great starting pitcher in the major leagues, that third pitch is important…
“We expect him to be good, he expects him to be good and to continue to improve.”
Roki Sasaki reacts during his 2026 spring training debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields in Talking Stick on February 26, 2026.
Opening Day is a month away, and Sasaki still has to prove he can be a true starter after making just eight starts (1-1, 4.72 ERA) and finishing the season in the bullpen. He played a vital role in the Dodgers bullpen in October, allowing just one earned run in 10.2 innings while saving three playoff games.
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Sasaki has made it clear he wants to be a starter. The Dodgers want him to start. But he has to prove he can do it.
Sasaki, who remains in Dodgers camp and is not pitching for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classicadmitted that there was at least one positive aspect of the day.
“I was able to complete my ride,” he said, “without getting hurt.”
Follow Bob Nightengale on Blue sky and @Bnightengale.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Roki Sasaki’s Dodgers’ rough spring debut raises questions
