The Los Angeles Dodgers have already announced that they are rolling with Roki Sasaki in their starting rotation as they open the 2026 season.
Despite his poor showing during Cactus League play, including Monday’s start against the Los Angeles Angels, the plan to continue developing him as a starter in the Majors has not changed.
Sasaki’s fledgling tenure with the Dodgers has been frustrating to observe from afar, for the simple reason that his talent is evident beneath the surface, and it is just a matter of coaxing it out of him.
The Dodgers believe that the best decision for the young right-hander’s development is for him to work through his issues in the Majors, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“There’s obviously a big gap between Triple-A and the big leagues,” Friedman said.