CAMELBACK RANCH, AZ — Roki Sasaki’s Cactus League debut on Wednesday came with a little of everything. The first inning got loud in a hurry, with three runs, a few hard-hit balls, and some traffic from walks. Then he settled enough to get three straight strikeouts, find a better rhythm, and turn it into a useful first step of the spring. Afterward, Sasaki and Dave Roberts both talked about the same idea: there were pieces to like, and there are clear things to sharpen before the games start counting.
Sasaki framed his outing as a mix of progress and homework. “There are good, positive things and also things that I need to work on,” he said. “I was able to finish my outing without getting hurt.”
When he got into what he was working on, Sasaki pointed right at the pitches he has been emphasizing. “I was working on slider, split,” he said. “I threw two today, and in the bullpen I felt pretty good about the forkball, but once I got on the mound it didn’t really go well. The first time I felt pretty good in the bullpen, but once I got on the mound it fell out a little bit.”
Asked about the bigger picture of building his pitch mix and how that ties to the fastball, Sasaki kept it simple and mechanical. “I think mechanics is really important for me,” he said. “I just want to work on it during the practice.”
Roberts saw the same outing through a manager’s lens, starting with the adrenaline in that first inning. “I thought he was overthrowing the first inning,” Roberts said. “I thought he threw too many fastballs. He didn’t command it, got behind, but it was good to see him come out in the second inning, mix a little bit better and be more effective. It was his first outing, so you expect some adrenaline, some emotion.”
Roberts also zoomed out to the bigger context of the day, including a solid step forward for River Ryan as he moves from rehab to competing in real games. “It was a big step just to get out there and compete against another team,” Roberts said. “I still think he’s a ways away as far as fine-tuning, but just to get out there in compete mode and not be in rehab mode, I think that’s a good thing. He’s off to a good start. He feels good. Just honing in those pitches and he’ll be just fine.”
He touched on Edwin Díaz’s ramp-up too, with the World Baseball Classic coming fast. “It was nice,” Roberts said. “He’s going to get one more outing before he joins Team Puerto Rico. Just to get him out there was a good thing, and hopefully the next time we can see him at Camelback Ranch. Just to get him out there was pretty exciting.”
And as the Dodgers keep stacking wins early, Roberts credited the shape of the at-bats across the roster. “That’s what it is. It’s a collective quality of at-bat,” he said. “Zyhir Hope had a big hit. [Kyle] Freeland still looks good, confident at the plate. Overall across the board, I think we’re taking our walks, controlling the strike zone, hitting the ball hard, and a lot of good things. When you get good pitching, good defense, some timely hitting, some good things happen. For me, I’m pretty pleased right now.”
For Sasaki, it was one spring outing, one bumpy inning, and one chance to put real-game feedback next to what he’s felt in bullpens. He called out the exact pitches he’s building, and Roberts called out the exact adjustment that showed up in the second. That’s a solid place to start.
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