Dodgers Roki Sasaki makes strides in outing

PHOENIX — It hasn’t been the smoothest spring training for right-hander Roki Sasaki as he prepares for his second season with the Dodgers.

Sasaki’s first two starts in Cactus League play featured some problems with command and plenty of hard contact. But with left-hander Blake Snell and right-hander Gavin Stone sidelined with shoulder points, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts left no doubt where Sasaki stood as he bought prepared to pitch in a B-game against White Sox minor leaguers on Tuesday.

“Having Blake [Snell] late to the season, which we know, [and] Gavin Stone, late to the season, as we know, we’re going to need Roki,” Roberts said. “With the buildup, I just don’t see a world in which he doesn’t break with us as a starter, and so, we’re going to need those innings.”

Sasaki took a promising step ahead on a minor-league discipline at Camelback Ranch.

The hard-throwing right-hander threw 59 pitches, 40 for strikes, across 4 innings while placing out 9 of the 13 batters he confronted and permitting two to attain base.

Although Roberts didn’t see Sasaki’s outing, he heard rave reviews from members of the group who attended.

“They said it was electric,” Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch. “They said [he was touching] 98 to 100 [mph]. The fastball was spraying a little early, but then he locked it in. And then the split was on-play, short, lot of swing-and-miss. Couldn’t have asked for a better day.”

Sasaki surrendered a single through the best aspect of the infield to the first batter he confronted, then proceeded to strike out the next seven batters. His only other hiccup got here in the third inning, when he hit Jason Matthews with a stray breaking ball on a full rely.

“I actually felt pretty bad the last couple days, but today I was able to make an adjustment, so that’s what I really need for right now,” Sasaki said via an interpreter after his outing. “I think I can keep moving forward.”

Sasaki was shelled in his second Cactus League start last week, yielding 4 runs, three walks, a single and a grand slam to the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark. He was lifted from the sport without recording an out, only to get re-inserted in the second inning to full two scoreless innings.

Sasaki famous mechanical points as the explanation for his struggles after the sport. Tuesday, he said he felt a lot better, focusing on his core and obliques.

“I was actually focusing on core, oblique stuff,” Sasaki said. “I think it’s all about mechanics. If my mechanics are really good, my command is good too.”

Roberts took away loads of worth from the outing, even one against a lineup of minor leaguers.

“There’s still value in getting hitters out and seeing guys swing and miss,” Roberts said. “I think we accomplished what we wanted to today, we built him up. Obviously, built up some confidence. So, just go from there.”