The long-awaited spring debut for Roki Sasaki in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform proved that the 23-year-old Japanese phenom may impress and carry out in opposition to Main League Baseball hitters.
Sasaki, signed by the Dodgers this offseason as one of the crucial coveted pitchers on the open market, got here in out of the bullpen on Tuesday evening at Camelback Ranch in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds. Getting into the sport within the fifth in reduction of starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki flashed a fastball that reached as excessive as 99.3 mph in addition to a splitter and slider within the mid-80s (per Baseball Savant).
In all, Sasaki threw 46 pitches in his three innings of labor, with 26 touchdown for strikes. He allowed simply two hits and one stroll whereas hanging out 5 and hitting one batter. His eight swings and misses had been essentially the most of any pitcher within the recreation, which Los Angeles received 4-2.
Sasaki began considerably slowly, permitting a one-out single to Austin Wynns after which hitting Stuart Fairchild. Nonetheless, Sasaki struck out the following two batters seeking to finish the body.
