Dodgers Prioritizing Long-Term Growth With Roki Sasaki
The Los Angeles Dodgers intend to keep Roki Sasaki in the rotation so he can develop and become a weapon down the line.
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki had another middling start against the San Francisco Giants on Monday, but the Dodgers’ plans for the starter lie far beyond just his results in 2026. The Dodgers have taken a clear stance on Sasaki, and are insistent on keeping him in the rotation, no matter how much he struggles . “We definitely see him as a long-term starting pitcher,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said to The Athletic .
“We are very firm believers that he has the ability and the upside to be an elite starting pitcher in this game. ” Sasaki is yet to reach the heights the Dodgers expect him to ascend to in the majors, though, posting subpar numbers during his 15 starts in MLB. He posted a 4.
72 ERA through eight starts in 2025, and has returned to that form in 2026 with a 5. 88 ERA through his first seven appearances this year. The Dodgers, though, see this as part of the process Sasaki needs to undergo in order to become the pitcher they want him to be down the line.
“I 100 percent appreciate and get that right now, fans don’t care at all about three years from now or five years from now,” Friedman said . “But when we get there, they definitely will. So it’s incumbent upon us to do everything we can to maximize the now, while also doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best position in the future, as well.