Should Dodgers Be Concerned With Roki Sasaki's Brutal Spring?

The Roki Sasaki situation is starting to feel a little uncomfortable for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

What was supposed to be a smooth transition back into the rotation has turned into one of the biggest storylines of camp, and not for a good reason.

Roki Sasaki’s Spring Has Been Hard to Ignore

Sasaki finished the spring with a 15.58 ERA, walking 15 batters in under nine innings, and in his latest outing against the Los Angeles Angels, he didn’t even record an out before things unraveled. 

Roki Sasaki has been pulled off the mound early for the second time in his last Spring start for the Dodgers.

2 K
6 BB
4 ER
0 H
2 HBP
66 Pitches
2 IP

What’s your concern level from 1-10? pic.twitter.com/9lhaY68T86

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) March 24, 2026

It’s the command that’s really setting off alarms. The stuff is still there, the velocity hasn’t disappeared, but when you’re constantly behind in counts and missing the zone entirely, it doesn’t matter how electric the arsenal looks on paper. 

Even Dave Roberts admitted it “hasn’t been great,” which is about as blunt as you’ll get from him in late March.

Sasaki pitched to an underwhelming 4.46 ERA, with 28 strikeouts and 22 walks across eight starts and 36.1 innings last season.

In the playoffs, however, he came alive. The 24-year-old shined with a sparkling 0.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and six strikeouts over 10.2 innings and nine appearances. He also finished five games and made three saves.

Dodgers Still Back Sasaki, But Clock Is Ticking

Roberts has already said Sasaki will open the season in the rotation and even lined him up for a start against the Cleveland Guardians. 

The leash, though, is going to be short. 

With names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and eventually Blake Snell in the mix, plus depth options ready to step in, there’s no real margin for extended struggles. 

If Sasaki can’t throw strikes early in the season, the conversation about a reset in the minors is going to get loud fast.

Dave Roberts on Roki Sasaki –– who is still in line to be in the opening day rotation and start next Monday:

“I don’t think that you can completely bank on or evaluate spring training or an exhibition game. But yeah, it hasn’t been great. It really hasn’t. And we know that. The… https://t.co/mAedBRwvGz

— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) March 24, 2026

This was supposed to be one of the most exciting pitching additions in baseball, a frontline arm with ace potential. Now, he’s heading into Opening Day just trying to prove he can hold a rotation spot on the most stacked team in the league.

There’s still time to flip the narrative, but it’s officially go time.

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images