Roki Sasaki was tipping his pitches and the Rangers clearly noticed
The Rangers had the most obvious relay system too.
Since arriving to MLB last season as a highly heralded phenom from Japan, it's been a rough go for Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki. The 24-year-old has battled injuries, confidence issues and inconsistent command. Now, it seems like he's tipping pitches.
It was unclear what exactly Sasaki was doing in Sunday's start against the Rangers, but it was obvious that the Texas dugout caught on to some tell in Sasaki's cadence or positioning. In the first inning, Brandon Nimmo would hop around from second base to relay Sasaki's splitter. Nimmo would stand still when a fastball was coming.
The thing is: Sasaki's splitter is so nasty, though, that the batter can know it's coming and still have no chance. (Strong language in the video) Someone tell the Dodgers that Roki Sasaki is tipping pitches pic. twitter.
com/l0SRsSNbyg ā MD (@mike_daddino) April 12, 2026 Sasaki struck out three straight hitters to get out of that first inning. But it seemed like the Dodgers weren't able to address what the Rangers had spotted. They were still whispering about Sasaki's mechanics in the third inning.