SURPRISE, Ariz. -- From inning to inning, let alone from one start to the next, the Dodgers never quite know what to expect from Roki Sasaki.
From the beginning of camp, the Dodgers have been steadfast in their belief that Sasaki will have a place in their rotation to open the season. Manager Dave Roberts recently said he doesn't "see a world where he doesn’t break with us as a starter." But so far, Sasaki has not given the team much to be confident about in spring play.
Sasaki's final Cactus League start may have been one of his best in terms of runs allowed, but it was shaky nonetheless.
He struck out five and allowed three earned runs on four hits and four walks in an eventual 10-4 win over the Royals on Tuesday night at Surprise Stadium.
In terms of building up, Sasaki did what the Dodgers needed from him, doing five ups and tossing 3 1/3 innings on 71 pitches (38 strikes). But he didn't do much to shift the narrative around his performance this spring. Overall, he is 1-0 with a 13.50 ERA (10 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings) in three Cactus League starts.
"I have a lot of things I need to work on," Sasaki said through an interpreter. "But it's just Spring Training, so just keep continuing to work on that. The results in Spring Training don't really matter."
Indeed, spring results have little bearing for players who are secure in their position on a Major League roster. But in order to keep a rotation spot when starters like Blake Snell and Gavin Stone return from the injured list during the season, Sasaki needs to establish himself as a legitimate big league pitcher.
"I think there’s progress in the sense that we got him into the fifth inning. The stuff was good, so that’s continued progress. Pitch count we got up," Roberts said. "But I think the thing with Roki is, again, you've got to be efficient, you've got to be able to take down innings and be able to make adjustments sooner."
Sasaki has had some encouraging stretches offset by moments where the game seemed to speed up on him. On Tuesday, he retired seven of the first nine hitters he faced, then lost his command with one out in the third inning. Sasaki walked the bases loaded, prompting Roberts to pull him.
Sasaki attributed the deterioration in command to throwing his new sinker, which he threw three times in the third inning.
"I think it's because of the two-seamer," Sasaki said. "It kind of caused my forearm to pronate a little more."
Sasaki re-entered for the fourth inning and struck out his first batter. He gave up a single, followed by a two-run homer, then recorded another strikeout. After that, Sasaki threw three straight balls to Jonathan India, and Roberts came out to the mound with a trainer to check on him. Sasaki later said that both of his calves were "about to cramp," but he stayed in the game and retired India. Sasaki came back out for the fifth but exited the game after surrendering a leadoff double to Starling Marte.
The Dodgers have been complimentary of how Sasaki has looked on the backfields, but that has not translated to game action. The lone exception was his lights-out "B" start against White Sox Minor Leaguers, most of whom had spent the majority of last season in Double-A.
After each start, Sasaki has made mention of his mechanics. That has been a trend dating back to last year. Last September, an adjustment with his lower body helped bring up his velocity. Earlier this spring, something with his upper body was out of sync. He later found an adjustment with his core that helped his delivery, only to have more mechanical issues on Tuesday.
Sasaki may very well have the stuff to be an effective big league pitcher. His fastball velocity has consistently sat in the upper 90s. His splitter has been devastating. His cutter is coming along nicely. But without command and conviction, he remains one of the great unknowns for this Dodgers team.
"I’m not worried about the results," Roberts said. "More of just being able to make the in-game adjustments sooner. Because you’re not always going to have your best stuff. You’re not always going to have the perfect command. But you've still got to find a way to get outs."