Dodgers Boosts with Fresh Faces, Sasaki Struggles Amidst Uptempo
Dodgers bolster rotation with fresh faces as Sasaki struggles. Roki Sasaki joins the starting lineup in hopes of finding his groove amidst inconsistent performances this spring. New relief arm Blake Treinen and Yoshinobu Yamamoto step up to start on opening day, promising improvements and a focus on building towards the future.
The Los Angeles Dodgers added new blood to their Crown Challenge squad, as Roki Sasaki joins the starting rotation in hopes of finding his groove after a disappointing spring. The former rookie struggled in his debut outing against the Kansas City Royals, striking out just nine batters over 3 1/3 innings before being forced to leave early due to walk problems and poor command. Sasaki's struggles continued as he was relieved twice more, allowing two home runs and a double on Tuesday.
Despite walking nine hitters, Sasaki carried an ugly 13. 50 ERA across his 6 2/3 inning performance. Dave Roberts emphasized the need for consistency in Sasaki's spring numbers, noting that they don't matter in the long run.
The veteran relief pitchers Blake Treinen and Yoshinobu Yamamoto also brought in new faces to the Dodgers' rotation ahead of the regular season. Treinen has yet to shake off his struggles, posting a 10. 80 ERA across five innings with three home runs allowed.
Roberts praised the improvements in Sasaki's command but acknowledged that there was still a lack of confidence and conviction among Treinen this spring. Yamamoto will make his debut on opening day at Dodger Stadium as he steps up to start the team’s regular season opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The excitement around these young prospects comes with an emphasis on building towards the future, not just about the present struggles that Sasaki and Treinen have experienced throughout spring training.