Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki struggled with control issues during his debut at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, allowing four walks and throwing just 32 strikes against the Detroit Tigers. Despite a crowd of 51,788 roaring in support, Sasaki was pulled from the game after two innings, with manager Dave Roberts citing control problems as a factor.
Sasaki, touted as Japan’s most impressive young pitcher, has not yet found his groove with Los Angeles. The 23-year-old prospect has struggled to establish consistency from his splitter, which can be unhittable at its best. However, catcher Will Smith and manager Roberts remain confident in Sasaki’s abilities, saying he’ll “settle in” and start pitching better soon.
Sasaki took the mound last week against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, where he walked five batters and struggled with control. In Los Angeles, he allowed two runs on three singles while throwing 32 strikes. Despite these struggles, Sasaki’s talent is undeniable, and he has a chance to bounce back from his disappointing debut.
The Dodgers’ next start for Sasaki will be against the Philadelphia Phillies next weekend, giving him time to work on his issues in the upcoming weeks. With no firm timetable set for Shohei Ohtani’s return to the rotation, the team is taking a conservative approach to allow Sasaki to develop at a comfortable pace.
As Smith said, “It’ll be really good for us” when Sasaki gets back on track, and with a deep bullpen like the Dodgers’, they can easily cover for any struggles from their pitchers.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44464655/roki-sasaki-pulled-dodger-stadium-debut-2nd-inning