Ironically, the only time Roki Sasaki has looked like an MLB pitcher this year was when he pitched to minor league hitters.
Back in spring training, Sasaki pitched in a minor-league game in which he struck out nine batters in four innings.
The memory of that game presents the Dodgers with a quandary when it comes to Sasaki's development: The Japanese fireballer is too good to pitch in the minors, but he's not good enough to pitch in the majors.
Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki struck out six batters, but he struggled against the Rangers on Sunday. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Blake Snell's absence has provided the front office with an excuse to delay making a substantive decision about what to do with Sasaki, but Judgment Day could be just around the corner. Snell threw to batters over the weekend and could be activated from the injured list by the end of next month.
The Dodgers have signaled up to this point that the major leagues will serve as a finishing school for Sasaki, rather than Double- or Triple-A like most other prospects. Manager Dave Roberts sounded on board with that plan.
But Sasaki has pitched in three games this season, and he looked as shaky in his third start as he did in his first.
"There's a part of me that can more or less calculate ahead of time the results I'm getting now," Sasaki said in Japanese.
Sasaki delivered more of the same for the Dodgers, lasting only four innings in a 5–2 loss to the Rangers on Sunday.
Sasaki once again had no idea where his pitches were going, as he walked five batters and allowed 10 baserunners. He was fortunate the damage was limited to two runs — or, depending on the perspective, fortunate to be pitching against a lineup as mediocre as the Rangers'.
He established a career high with six strikeouts, but the fact he hadn't ever struck out that many batters in a major-league game felt more like an indictment of how he's pitched since departing his homeland.
Even with dumb luck on his side, Sasaki remains clearly behind the Dodgers' five other starting pitchers, and that includes the likes of Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski . Sheehan completed six innings in a win over the Rangers on Saturday. Wrobleski was charged with one run in five innings in his one start. Sasaki completed five innings in his start before this one, but he allowed six runs in that game.
The lack of obvious improvement had the Dodgers scrambling to find positives about Sasaki's performance.
"I think the thing that stands out is [that] he limited damage," Roberts said. "Once he exited the game, we were still in good position to win the game."
The Dodgers were behind by only a run, but they were forced to burn four relievers in a loss, including Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein . They found themselves in this predicament because Sasaki's pitch count was already at 94, which was one more than Rangers starter Jacob deGrom threw over six innings.
"In my three starts, I've pitched four innings, five innings, four innings, so I haven't pitched very many innings," Sasaki said. "I can't burden the relievers like that."
Sasaki was in constant trouble, starting in the first inning. He allowed the first two batters to reach base, and that brought up All-Star Corey Seager . With a full count, Sasaki threw Seager a down-the-middle fastball that he inexplicably missed. Sasaki struck out the next two batters to escape the pinch.
Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki walked five batters and allowed five hits in four innings Sunday. AP
The Rangers had runners on second and third base with one out in the second but didn't score. They finally broke through in a two-run third inning, as Evan Carter homered and four consecutive batters reached base safely with two outs.
"Simply, I just think things aren't going well from a technical standpoint," Sasaki said. "All I can do is correct that."
In the manager's view, Sasaki can do that here, in front of 50,000 people in major-league games.
Roberts pointed to the game in spring training in which Sasaki dominated a lineup of White Sox minor leaguers.
"If he took the same stuff that he had that day on the back field into every start, I would bet there would be success at the major-league level," Roberts said. "If you look at the major-league level, whether it be in spring training or in games where he hasn't been good, there's been some crazy misses that no hitter is going to swing at. So if he's right, that forkball, that split, whatever it is, is tough to square up, tough to catch. And [the fastball is] still 97, 98 mph.
"The thing is getting him linear, making those misses the right misses, and getting those hitters on their heels. When he does that, he's effective against anybody."
The Dodgers' faith in Sasaki will be tested in the coming weeks.
He posted a 15.88 ERA in the exhibition season. His ERA through his first three regular-season starts is 6.23.
His next start is expected to be at Coors Field in Colorado , a notorious hitter's park.
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