Fansided

Dave Roberts has to stick with Roki Sasaki for an obvious reason

Roki Sasaki's pitching arsenal is reason enough to keep him in the Dodgers rotation.
ByScott Rogust|
May 3, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
May 3, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers won a majority of the free agent sweepstakes this past winter. Perhaps the most prominent win was the team landing 23-year-old Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who had plenty of MLB teams recruiting him. Thus far, Sasaki hasn't been the dominant force that Dodgers fans were expecting. Granted, Sasaki was transitioning to the majors, so it was always going to take some time.

On Saturday, Sasaki picked up his first major league win after the Dodgers picked up the 10-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves. The outing showed why Dodgers fans should be more patient. But most importantly, Sasaki showed off his pitching arsenal to manager Dave Roberts. Take a look at the "forkball" he threw against Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murrayā€™s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.

Roki Sasaki shows off why Dodgers should continue giving him a chance in rotation

That, was an 84 mph forkball thrown by Sasaki, and Ozuna could not track the pitch and froze up in the batter's box. Sasaki's pitching arsenal looks great. If anything, he just needs more reps before he really starts to get comfortable and become more of a force in the rotation.

Sasaki pitched five full innings, where he struck out four batters, issued two walks, and allowed three earned runs on six hits. On the year, Sasaki has a 3.86 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, a 1-1 win-loss record, 24 strikeouts, and 20 walks in 30.1 innings (seven starts).

The Dodgers don't necessarily have a chance for Sasaki to sit out of the rotation if that was the route they opted to go in. That's because the Dodgers' starting rotation has been decimated by injuries, with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Gavin Stone, Emmet Sheehan, and River Ryan all on the injured list.

The more reps, the better for Sasaki. Saturday showed a glimpse of what he can bring if he puts it all together.

Home/Los Angeles Dodgers

Schedule