Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki delivered a promising performance in his first start of the 2026 season, allowing one earned run over four innings against the Cleveland Guardians. The Dodgers fell 4-2 in their first loss of the year. Manager Dave Roberts praised Sasaki's response after a tough spring training.
Roki Sasaki, signed by the Dodgers from Japan in the 2024-25 offseason, struggled in his 2025 rookie year with a 4.46 ERA over eight starts and two relief outings. He recorded 28 strikeouts and 22 walks in 36 1/3 innings, posting a 5.80 FIP, and missed significant time due to a shoulder impingement. Sasaki returned for the playoffs, helping the Dodgers secure a repeat championship from the bullpen, but the team envisions him as a rotation mainstay seeking a three-peat in 2026. His spring training was rough, with a 15.58 ERA and 15 walks in 8 2/3 innings across four starts, as command issues persisted from mechanical inconsistencies the prior year. In Monday's game, a 4-2 defeat to the Guardians, Sasaki threw 78 pitches, 45 for strikes. His fastball averaged 98 mph and reached 99 mph several times, while his splitter generated a 60% whiff rate. He also found success with a reworked cutter-slider hybrid pitch. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts highlighted the improvement afterward. “That's growth,” Roberts said. “I know he was a little bit nervous going into this start about what to expect. … But he responded well.” While four innings against a potentially weak Guardians offense is no dominant outing, Sasaki's effort marks progress amid rotation health concerns for the Dodgers.