Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Bounces back with quality start
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Sasaki allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five over six innings in a no-decision versus the Rockies on Wednesday.
Sasaki allowed home runs to Kyle Karros and Edouard Julien in the second inning but was otherwise effective in a baseline quality start. Entering Wednesday, Sasaki had allowed 19 runs over 17 innings across his previous four starts, so this was a significant step in the right direction. The right-hander has pitched to a 5.33 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 80:33 K:BB through 81 innings over 16 starts this season. Homers have been a noticeable issue -- he's allowed 19 so far.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Another rough outing Thursday
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Sasaki allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three batters over three innings in a no-decision against San Diego on Thursday.
Sasaki's outing began ominously when the first batter he faced, Fernando Tatis, rocked him for a 116-mph double. That proved to be a precursor for what was to come, as the Padres pounded him for seven extra-base hits, including three homers. Manager Dave Roberts finally pulled the plug on Sasaki after three frames and a whopping 88 pitches. Sasaki was fortunate to escape with a no-decision since the Dodgers' offense exploded for 12 runs, but it was unquestionably a troubling outing by the Japanese hurler, who has now given up 19 runs over his past four starts spanning 17 innings. After the game, Roberts said that Sasaki will make his next start but indicated that the team will do a "deep dive" into the pitcher to determine what went wrong, which will include trying to determine if he was tipping his pitches, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Lacks control in loss
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Sasaki (3-5) allowed three runs on three hits, five walks and a hit batsman while striking out two over four-plus innings to take the loss versus the Padres on Friday.
The five walks matched his season high. Sasaki has regressed heavily in recent starts, giving up 13 runs over his last 14 innings, including four home runs. The right-hander is now at a 4.88 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 72:30 K:BB over 72 innings through 14 starts. Sasaki's strikeout upside is a plus, as is a lineup that can often give him enough run support to cover up mistakes. He'll look to get back on track in his next start, which is tentatively scheduled to be a rematch at home versus the Padres next week.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Yields two homers Friday
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Sasaki allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six over 5.2 innings in a no-decision Friday versus the Orioles.
Sasaki improved compared to his last outing, a seven-run meltdown versus the White Sox. It wasn't enough to earn the win, as the Dodgers needed a comeback in the ninth inning to steal this victory. Sasaki has done a decent job of run prevention lately, allowing no more than three runs in seven of his last eight outings. He's at a 4.76 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 70:25 K:BB through 68 innings over 13 starts this season. Sasaki's next outing is projected to be on the road in San Diego.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Gives up seven runs, takes loss
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Sasaki (3-4) was tagged with the loss Friday against the White Sox, allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks across 4.1 innings. He struck out four.
Sasaki was coming off one of the most dominant outings of his career, striking out 10 across seven shutout innings in a no-decision against the Angels on June 5. However, he couldn't keep it rolling against one of the hottest offenses in the AL. Sasaki seemed to be finding his groove, as he had gone four straight starts allowing two or fewer earned runs before Friday. He'll look to bounce back in his next start, which is lined up to come at home against the Rays.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Strikes out 10 in no-decision
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Sasaki allowed two hits and two walks while striking out 10 over seven shutout innings in a no-decision Friday versus the Angels.
Sasaki had his best start of the season, but a rare quiet showing from the Dodgers' bats kept him from earning the win. He's been on a roll lately, allowing just five runs (four earned) with a 29:5 K:BB over 24.1 innings across his last four starts. Overall, Sasaki is at a 4.03 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 60:21 K:BB through 58 innings over 11 starts. His next start is projected to be on the road versus the White Sox.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Steady in no-decision
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Sasaki allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out seven over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Phillies on Saturday.
Sasaki's lone mistake was a solo shot by Alec Bohm in the second inning. In May, Sasaki made five starts, allowing a total of 11 runs (10 earned) across 28.1 innings, an improvement on his shakier 7.23 ERA in April. The right-hander is at a 4.59 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 50:19 K:BB through 51 innings over 10 outings this year and is projected to make his next start at home against the Angels.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Overcomes early struggles in win
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Sasaki (3-3) earned the win against the Brewers on Saturday, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts over five innings.
Sasaki allowed three runs in the first inning but rebounded with four scoreless frames, throwing 56 of 87 pitches for strikes while generating nine whiffs. It continued an encouraging month of May for the 24-year-old, who has now yielded three earned runs or fewer in each of his four outings this month, lowering his season ERA from 6.35 to 4.93 during that stretch. He'll carry a 1.42 WHIP and 43:18 K:BB, along with the aforementioned ERA, across 45.2 innings this season into a home matchup against the Phillies next weekend.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Stellar in second win
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Sasaki (2-3) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on four hits and no walks over seven innings against the Angels. He struck out eight.
Sasaki turned in his best outing of the season, punching out a season-high eight batters while not issuing a walk in a start for the first time in his MLB career. Sunday could mark a key turning point for the talented right-hander, as he looked confident and in control with his revamped four-pitch mix. The 24-year-old will carry a 5.09 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 39:16 K:BB across 40.2 innings into his next outing, which is tentatively scheduled for Saturday against the Brewers.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Strikes out five in no-decision
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Sasaki did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs on six hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch over five innings against the Giants. He struck out five.
After allowing a solo homer to Rafael Devers in the second inning, Sasaki settled in during the middle frames before being chased in the sixth, allowing two runs without recording an out in the frame. The right-hander's sophomore season hasn't gone according to plan thus far, as the 24-year-old has allowed three or more runs in five of his starts and completed six innings just once. He'll carry a 1-3 record with a 5.88 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 31:16 K:BB into his next start, tentatively scheduled for Sunday against the Angels.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Not in line to start this weekend
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Sasaki is no longer lined up to make a start during this weekend's series versus Atlanta and is now on track to make his next turn through the rotation Monday versus the Giants at Dodger Stadium, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Blake Snell's (shoulder) impending return from the 15-day injured list had been expected to put Sasaki at risk of being bumped from the Dodgers' six-man rotation, but the latter will end up keeping his spot at least temporarily after Los Angeles placed Tyler Glasnow (back) on the IL on Friday. However, with Snell set to be activated Saturday for his 2026 team debut and with Justin Wrobleski in line to start Sunday, Sasaki will end up being pushed back in the pitching schedule to Monday, when he'll be taking the hill on eight days' rest. Sasaki took a step forward in covering a season-high six innings in his last start May 2 against the Cardinals but has still been the clear weak link in the Los Angeles rotation with a 5.97 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over 28.2 frames on the campaign.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: First quality start in loss
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Sasaki (1-3) took the loss Saturday against the Cardinals, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out four.
It was a bit of a tough-luck loss for Sasaki, who gave the Dodgers one of his best showings of the season so far. The right-hander worked a season-high six innings, tossed a season-most 104 pitches and logged his first quality start of 2026. Sasaki still has a rocky 5.97 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 26:15 K:BB over 28.2 frames, so he'll remain hard to trust in fantasy lineups during his next scheduled appearances versus Atlanta.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Picks up first victory of season
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Sasaki (1-2) allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters over five-plus innings to earn the win over the Cubs on Saturday.
The outing was very much a mixed bag for Sasaki -- he impressed by throwing 20 of 23 first pitches for strikes and racking up 15 whiffs, but he also surrendered three home runs. A six-run explosion by Los Angeles in the fourth inning provided more than enough run support for Sasaki to pick up the win, but he managed to complete only five frames and was lifted after allowing the first two batters he faced in the sixth to reach base. The Dodgers have remained patient with the Japanese righty through some early season struggles, and his 6.35 ERA is troubling. Still, Sasaki has shown small gains as the season has progressed -- of note, Saturday marked the first time this season that he's issued fewer than two walks in an outing -- and he seems to have a rotation spot locked down, at least until Blake Snell (shoulder) returns from the injured list.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Struggles with control in loss
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Sasaki (0-2) took the loss Sunday, allowing two runs on five hits and five walks over four innings against the Rangers. He struck out six.
It was a mixed bag for Sasaki in Sunday's start, as he generated 15 whiffs but struggled mightily with control. After a disappointing first MLB campaign last season in which he posted a 4.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and a 28:22 K:BB across 36.1 regular-season innings, the right-hander is off to a slow start in 2026, owning a 6.23 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and a 15:10 K:BB through 13 innings. Sasaki is projected to make his next start on the road Sunday against the Rockies.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Posts promising start despite loss
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Sasaki (0-1) took the loss against Cleveland on Monday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four batters over four innings.
Amidst Sasaki's disastrous spring, there was a lot of chatter about whether the young hurler was deserving of a spot in the Dodgers' rotation. The team decided to stick with him, and Sasaki mostly looked good in his first regular-season start in spite of being handed the defeat. The right-hander was particularly effective when he went to his cutter and splitter, getting seven whiffs on 40 pitches versus just two whiffs on the 38 fastballs he threw. Sasaki may not have the longest of leashes, so this outing should be counted as a success in contrast to how he pitched during most of the spring slate. His next start is projected to take place on the road against the Nationals.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Still in rotation despite struggles
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recommitted to Sasaki as a member of the team's rotation after another poor outing from the pitcher Monday against the Angels, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Sasaki was pulled in the first inning Monday before recording an out, as he hit a batter and walked in two runs while throwing 30 pitches. He re-entered the game in the second inning and wound up covering two-plus frames, getting charged with five runs on six walks and two hit-by-pitches. Sasaki finished the Cactus League with a 15.58 ERA and 12:15 K:BB over 8.2 innings. Despite the struggles, Sasaki remains lined up to start Monday versus the Guardians. Roberts will be forced to have a short leash with Sasaki, however. Justin Wrobleski is set to open the season in a hybrid role and is expected to be available to cover multiple innings out of the bullpen after Sasaki, if needed.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Struggles in spring debut
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Sasaki tossed 1.1 innings against Arizona in a Cactus League game Wednesday, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three batters.
Sasaki made his first appearance this spring and struggled mightily at the outset, allowing three hits (including two doubles) and a walk to the first five batters he faced. That netted the Diamondbacks two runs, but Sasaki was at least able to escape further damage by striking out the final two batters he faced in the frame. The right-hander returned for the second frame and struck out another batter before issuing a free pass and being pulled. While this was far from an encouraging outing for Sasaki, the Japanese hurler stated after the game that his delivery "is coming along nicely" and emphasized that, "It was an exhibition game, so I threw the pitches I wanted to work on," per Dylan Hernandez of the New York Post. Indeed, of the 36 pitches Sasaki threw in the outing, 11 were cutters -- a pitch he's working on adding to his arsenal -- and four were sinkers (a pitch he threw just twice in regular-season action as a rookie). With that said, fantasy managers probably shouldn't read too much into this rough outing, and the expectation remains that Sasaki will open the campaign in Los Angeles' rotation. Ultimately, however, he'll need to display much better results -- especially in terms of control, as he tossed only 17 of those 36 pitches for strikes Wednesday -- to remain a starter all year.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Locks in third save
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Sasaki did not allow a baserunner while striking out one across a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in Game 3 of the NLCS on Thursday against the Brewers.
Sasaki was called upon for the first time since stumbling in the ninth inning in Game 1 of the NLCS. He rebounded Thursday, successfully protecting a two-run lead while retiring the side on just 13 pitches. Sasaki has three saves in the postseason, allowing only one earned run across seven innings of work with a 6:2 KBB.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Roughed up in NLCS Game 1
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Sasaki was unable to convert the save in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers on Monday and was removed after allowing one run on one hit and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.
This shaky outing comes less than a week after skipper Dave Roberts praised Sasaki for his performance during his first few appearances of the NLDS against the Phillies, noting that the right-hander was the team's primary option at closer. That could change after Monday's showing, especially after Blake Treinen was able to come up big by cleaning up Sasaki's mess in the bottom of the ninth inning. However, it would be difficult to imagine that Sasaki wouldn't still be in the mix for high-leverage innings considering his elite stuff along with the state of LA's unreliable bullpen.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Secures second save of NLDS
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Sasaki recorded a one-out save in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Phillies on Monday.
Sasaki tallied a traditional save in Saturday's Game 1, but skipper Dave Roberts called on the right-hander with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Monday with runners on first and third in a one-run game. Sasaki needed only two pitches to retire Trea Turner, inducing a grounder to second baseman Tommy Edman to record the final out of the matchup. Sasaki could very well be in position to handle closing duties moving forward after Blake Treinen was rocked for two runs on three hits while failing to record an out Monday.
