Roki Sasaki's key to success for Dodgers rotation might be a new pitch

Roki Sasaki's key to success for Dodgers rotation might be a new pitch originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Los Angeles Dodgers have some of the best pitchers in all of Major League Baseball to go with their star-studded lineup.

But, there is one major issue with the rotation: what to do with Roki Sasaki. He's got plenty of potential, but the 24-year-old has struggled far too much in the rotation recently. David Adler of MLB.

com believes that Sasaki could get back on track and succeed as a starter if he can turn his new pitch, which is a slider, into a key part of his arsenal to give him a true three-pitch mix. Key to Roki Sasaki's success might be new slider "If Roki is going to succeed as a starter, this pitch is going to play a big role," Adler writes. "He can't really be a two-pitch pitcher with a fastball and splitter, especially when his command of those two pitches is as erratic as it has been.

" The Dodgers need Sasaki to have more than just his fastball and splitter working to be a successful full-time starting pitcher. He had success out of the bullpen last year, but that should be a last resort in his career. Ideally, he turns into a key starter for Los Angeles for a long time.