PHOENIX –– Despite his shaky start to spring training, the Dodgers have been steadfast about having Roki Sasaki in their opening day rotation.
On Tuesday afternoon, in a performance that Dodgers officials described as “electric,” the Japanese phenom finally started to validate that faith.
It was only a backfield B-game at Camelback Ranch. He was only facing minor-leaguers from the Chicago White Sox organization. But in a scoreless four-inning outing in which he allowed just one hit and struck out nine batters, Sasaki showed why manager Dave Roberts reaffirmed him as a virtual roster lock for the start of the season earlier in the morning.
“I just don’t see a world where he doesn’t break (camp) with us as a starter,” Roberts said in his pregame address with reporters, before later adding: “I’m betting on the performance to continue to trend up, to be good enough (to be in the rotation), and to only get better with the talent that he has and the work that he’s put in.”
The fact Sasaki was relegated on Tuesday to backfield duty –– where he pitched against a White Sox lineup full of mostly double-A caliber talent, and in front of only a smattering of fans, team officials, scouts and autograph hounds –– was a reflection of the rough form he’d shown at the start of camp.
In each of his first two Cactus League starts, the 24-year-old right-hander had struggled to command his pitches, and his fastball especially, allowing a combined seven runs and five walks in just 3 ⅓ innings.
Even worse, his inefficient workload had complicated his primary objective this spring, needing to build up innings in his return to a starting role following last postseason’s cameo as emergency closer.
Thus, the Dodgers decided to stick Sasaki with the minor-leaguers on Tuesday, while Tyler Glasnow got the start in the team’s main game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Roberts described the decision as a way to ensure Sasaki would get through four innings, given the more controlled environment a B-game allows.
Still, it also felt like a chance for the Dodgers to take some pressure off the second-year fireballer, and shield him from the spotlight as he continues to refine his delivery.
“Command the fastball, use the split, use his breaking ball to get through the lineup, and get through four innings,” Roberts said ahead of Sasaki’s outing. “That’s what the goal is today.”
For the most part, Sasaki checked all those boxes.
He was erratic with his fastball early, but gradually dialed in his command while hitting 98-100 mph on the radar gun.
His trademark splitter and newly-added cutter left White Sox prospects looking overmatched and helpless, accounting for the majority of the 17 whiffs that helped him breeze through his outing.
The lone hit he gave up came to his first batter of the game, on a ground-ball single through the right side of the infield. After that, he struck out seven in a row and nine of his final 12 batters, allowing only one more baserunner when he plunked a hitter in the third.
Most importantly, Sasaki emerged from the afternoon feeling confident about the latest adjustments he has made to his mechanics.
“Yesterday and the day before, the process of making adjustments didn’t go well,” he said in Japanese. “But the fact it was good today means … I responded with results. I needed that right now.”
Roberts agreed, downplaying a question about the quality of competition Sasaki faced on Tuesday by pointing to the way it could provide him renewed confidence –– and catapult him through the final two weeks leading up to opening day.
“There’s still value to getting hitters out and seeing guys swing and miss,” Roberts said. “We accomplished what we wanted to.”
“Couldn’t have asked for a better day,” he added.