The Dodgers tried. They really did.
Increase the chance of Roki Sasaki after luck. They honored their part of the unspoken agreement with the previous Japanese event.
Now, with two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell set to go on the disabled list, the Dodgers have to do the right thing — the right thing for their team but also the right thing for Sasaki.
They should send Sasaki to the minor leagues.
Maybe something will happen between now and Snell’s expected return that prompts the Dodgers to continue starting Sasaki once every six or seven days. He is expected to play in one more league game before completing his rehabilitation.
But short of that, Snell’s entry into the Dodgers’ six-man rotation will push someone out, and that someone won’t be Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Tyler Glasnow.
The Dodgers may be inclined to send Justin Wrobleski to the bullpen for fear that his inability to miss bats will catch up with him, but how can they demote him to the lefty position if he’s posting All-Star numbers?
Wrobleski ended a four-game losing streak for the Dodgers on Sunday by pitching six scoreless innings at St. Louis, improving his record to 5-0 while lowering his ERA to 1.25. In five starts, Wrobleski has a 0.56 ERA.
In a just world, that would leave Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan as the ones to be eliminated. Both have been inconsistent, Sasaki with a 5.97 ERA in six starts and Sheehan just a touch better at 5.23.
This isn’t just about who deserves to stay, though. This is also about who would benefit the most from a position change, whether it’s in the minors or the bullpen, and that’s Sasaki.
Whatever problems Sheehan has faced, he has had moments this season where he has looked like himself. Sasaki hasn’t.
With Sasaki, everything comes down to his fastball – how hard he throws it and where he is.
He can throw more variations on his forkball, as he did in his last start. He can rely on his slider, as he did earlier this season. But without his fastball, he will never be as spectacular as the Dodgers thought.
Sasaki said so himself after his start Saturday at St. The start was his best of the season statistically, but he didn’t have much power over the six innings he pitched. He allowed two baserunners in each of the first two innings and gave up three runs in the third. Regarding the fact that the fast version of his forkball did not produce many swings and misses, Sasaki told reporters in Japanese, “In the end, it depends on the fastball.”
His problems with his fastball were evident in his last season in Japan, in 2024. He couldn’t throw it hard or get it accurately. Trouble followed him overseas.
Without a reliable fastball, Sasaki has relied this season on off-speed pitches to throw strikes, whether it’s his slider or splitter.
But those were only temporary solutions – and not practical ones.
Instead of looking for another combination of smoke and mirrors to get started, Sasaki should look for what can make him special in the long run.
He should look to regain his fastball.
Considering how little progress he’s made in that department this season, he may move to a lower-level position where the concerns of winning and losing won’t force him to work on another field between starts.
Accordingly, Sasaki said he would accept a minor league assignment if the Dodgers thought that was in his best interest.
He said on Saturday when talking about Snell’s return: “Whoever comes in means he will have to come out, but I have to focus on my playing, and the importance of hitting the ball well does not change no matter what the situation is.”
When he’s young, his focus can shift from what’s good for the team to what’s good for him.
The Dodgers opted to open the season with Alex Freeland in their lineup over Hyeseong Kim, who was understandably disappointed. But manager Dave Roberts gave an explanation that made it clear the decision was made with Kim’s future in mind. The Dodgers wanted Kim to play every day in the minors instead of being part of the team in the majors. In retrospect, this program prepared Kim for the success he has now.
Economic and political considerations complicate Sasaki’s case, but the goal should be the same, which is to put Sasaki on the path to realizing his potential. Sasaki has a chance to be special, but in order to take 10 steps forward, he may have to take one back.
