The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 5-4 on Tuesday in their spring training matchup. Despite the victory, Roki Sasaki had a difficult start on the mound. He turned in two innings of four-run baseball while allowing two hits, a home run and three walks. Sasaki now holds an 18.90 ERA across 3.1 total innings pitched this spring.
Sasaki also had an up and down rookie season as a starter in 2025 — although he was impressive out of the bullpen in the postseason. So, would the Dodgers consider moving Sasaki to the bullpen in the regular season?
“I think it can change, but I don't think it's going to change before we break (camp),” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Sasaki's start on Tuesday, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. “I think that, keep building him up. We see him as a starter and giving him every opportunity for success.”
While Roberts left the door open for a change, he still supported the idea of Sasaki remaining in the starting rotation. Los Angeles would obviously love to see Sasaki take a step forward and find success as a starting pitcher at the MLB level. With that being said, Los Angeles wants to win a third consecutive championship in 2026. If Sasaki struggles again, the Dodgers may need to at least temporarily move him to the bullpen.
At the moment, the 24-year-old pitcher will continue to receive opportunities to start games. There is no denying the fact that Sasaki has a lot to prove in 2026, however.
