Brooks Baldwin

He got a couple of strikeouts and gave up hits to Tommy Edman and David Bote, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. Since they have the early trip to Japan, the Dodgers will have to be a little more aggressive than other teams when it comes to the timetables of their pitchers. Sasaki is expected to start one of the two games in Japan against the Cubs.

Sasaki figures to be the talk of the Cactus League this spring as he kicks off his stateside debut in a handful of exhibition outings before taking the ball for Los Angeles’ second regular season contest on March 19 against the Cubs in Japan. The 23-year-old figures to be a bit of a work in progress as the Dodgers tinker with his mechanics and arsenal, but his top-of-the-rotation talent is undeniable.

The Dodgers will have their young star Japanese hurlers on the mound for the series in Japan, which seems like the right thing to do. It also doesn’t mean that they’re expected to be the aces of the staff, as Los Angeles will have plenty of time to reset the rotation after those two contests. It’s definitely something to keep in mind if Yamamoto and Sasaki are on your fantasy roster, as it’s an extra start for both.

Ultimately Sasaki decided against the procedure, and the right-hander mentioned that his making his leap to the majors before he could test free agency was influenced by a potential health scare. Sasaki has never worked more than 129 1/3 innings as a professional and there’s obvious health risks with any pitcher — particularly one who throws as hard as he does — but fantasy managers can’t ignore the potential reward, either.