Sasaki's control severely off; Roberts: Never considered sending him to minors, possibly overthinking.

Los Angeles Dodgers' "Reiwa Monster" Sōshi Sasaki performed poorly in spring training, with his control completely off in a recent exhibition game, issuing as many as 8 walks over just 2 innings. Yet he remains in the Dodgers' opening-day starting rotation, leading many fans to question whether he should be sent down to the minors. Manager Dave Roberts said before the final spring training game today that this is not a situation requiring a "complete restart," nor has sending him to the minors been considered. The team still maintains confidence in Sasaki and expects improvement once the regular season begins.

In his previous exhibition game against the Angels, Sasaki failed to retire any batter in the first inning, issuing 4 walks and allowing 4 runs before exiting. He then reappeared in the second inning under special rules, but his control remained unstable. Ultimately, over 2 innings he allowed no hits but issued as many as 8 walks and gave up 5 runs, pushing his exhibition ERA to 15.58. This prompted U.S. media to question "why he is in the starting rotation," suggesting Sasaki should be sent to the minors for adjustment, even reminding some of Japanese pitcher Shintaro Fujinami, who left MLB due to severe control issues.

Despite his fluctuating pitching form, the coaching staff sticks to the original plan, scheduling Sasaki to start against the Guardians at home on March 31 (Beijing time). Roberts stated that what Sasaki needs is not "starting from scratch," but rather regaining his form through ongoing communication and adjustments, emphasizing that the team has not considered sending him to the minors. "Yesterday he had a good discussion with the pitching coach, reaffirming the point of 'pitching with athletic instinct.'"

Regarding Sasaki's pitching issues, Roberts believes he might be overthinking, affecting his natural motion, and added that the coaching staff will continue communicating with him. "We have a trusting relationship; he himself is frustrated just like us, but we believe he will get better, and he must get better."

With the new season about to start, Roberts expressed hope that Sasaki can break free from overthinking. "Once the season begins, the most important thing is to get outs and eat innings. We will make him understand the importance of that."