Andrew Friedman Sends Message on Roki Sasaki’s Starting Role Amid Struggles
Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations fielded direct questions on the decision to keep struggling starter Roki Sasaki in the rotation. The Dodgers are having quite a boring spring overall, with injured players working their way back slowly and veterans getting starts every so often as they prepare for the 2026 season. However, despite how calm the winds from Cambelback rank have been, there has been a persistent question mark hanging over the team — how will Roki Sasaki do in 2026?
Sasaki had a poor rookie regular season, given the expectations he came with when he signed in January 2025, failing to hit his previous velocity highs and showing inconsistent speeds from outing to outing. Jan 22, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; L-R; Brandon Gomes, president of baseball operations and general manager Andrew Friedman shake hands with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images His splitter was quite devastating, one of the best in baseball, but the entire arsenal was lacking, and it was quickly revealed that he had shoulder discomfort, which kept him out for months.
Sasaki eventually came back in a bullpen role, which suited him much better on the whole, especially because of his limited arsenal. He was able to lean on his fastball-splitter combination and became the de facto closer. It was good enough for the Dodgers to patch their bullpen struggles and win another World Series, but in a new year, there is renewed intrigue in his ability to break through as a starter.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dodgers Nation (@dodgersnation) Roki’s rocky Spring Training He has pitched only 6. 2 spring ball innings , but he has a 13. 50 ERA, 10 strikeouts, 9 walks, and 9 hits.
His command has been totally shot at times, but the velocity has been consistent and a tick higher than 2025. However, he has not looked as good as River Ryan or Kyle Hurt, two players who were cut from the major league spring camp roster. It has naturally brought up questions about whether Sasaki should be in the major leagues as a starter at this point, though Dave Roberts has reconfirmed that he will start the season in the rotation, and now Andrew Friedman is showing the same sense of confidence in Sasaki.