Roki Sasaki issued 8 walks and allowed 5 runs, acknowledging that spring training is about identifying issues to prepare for the new season.

Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched 2 innings in today's exhibition game against the Los Angeles Angels, throwing 66 pitches. While he allowed no hits, he issued 8 walks and surrendered 5 runs. Post-game, Sasaki acknowledged his performance was not ideal but expressed he would adjust his mentality to face the upcoming season.

Including this game, Sasaki has made 4 appearances in spring training, all with poor outcomes, resulting in an ERA of 15.58 across those games, with walks being the primary issue. In this contest, only 32 of his 66 pitches were strikes, giving him a strike rate of just 48.5%.

“The results were not good, and there weren’t many positives,” Sasaki said. “In previous games I could adjust, but today I couldn’t. I want to figure out what I can do. Spring training is different from the regular season, so I need to properly switch my mindset.”

In his previous outing on March 18 against the Royals, Sasaki pitched 3.1 innings, allowing 4 runs and issuing 4 walks. At that time, he stated: “Various practical challenges can only be gained through pitching, so it’s fine to pitch more during this period. Even if I give up runs, spring training is meant to prepare me for the season. If I can successfully pitch through the entire season, no one will remember the spring training performance. I will continue working hard with that mindset.”

Despite his unstable spring training form, Sasaki has secured a spot in the starting rotation and will start against the Cleveland Guardians on March 31. He expressed that he will forget the spring training struggles and prepare for the season. “The issues that arise in spring training can only be addressed by identifying and solving them one by one. I’ll put aside the spring training results; the season is a fresh start. The weaknesses exposed in spring training are actually beneficial, allowing me to approach the season with a renewed mindset.”