Roki Sasaki

Sasaki authored a dominant performance in his spring debut, averaging 98 mph on his four-seam fastball, while scattering two hits and one walk over three frames. The 23-year-old pitching prodigy’s signature splitter was on point in this one as the offering generated an impressive seven swinging strikes. There are some lingering workload concerns as Sasaki acclimates to life in the majors, but the raw talent is undeniable. He’s a top-30 range option among starting pitchers for fantasy purposes.

Roberts re-affirmed that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the ball against fellow countryman Shota Imanaga during the opening contest of the two-game series, but is seemingly leaving every option on the table for the finale. He told reporters last month that Roki Sasaki would likely get the ball during the series for his highly-anticipated major-league debut, but that doesn’t appear to be a lock anymore. The 23-year-old phenom will make his Cactus League debut on Tuesday against the Reds. His performance over the next few weeks will likely determine whether he breaks camp in Los Angeles’ crowded rotation mix.

Sasaki did throw a three-inning simulated game earlier this week, but he hasn’t officially entered a Cactus League contest. The 23-year-old right-hander is being brought along slowly in his first year a member of the Dodgers, but should be stretched out enough to be ready for a rotation spot to begin 2025.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters afterwards that Sasaki’s fastball velocity was in the mid-90’s as he showcased his entire four-pitch mix during the three-inning outing. He coughed up a gargantuan homer to White Sox top prospect Kyle Teel but bounced back to retire six consecutive batters and avoid any further damage. The 23-year-old pitching phenom is on track to make his major-league debut in a few weeks overseas in Japan against the Cubs during the second game of the season-opening Tokyo Series. He’s a potential generational talent, but fantasy managers should temper their immediate expectations since Sasaki is going to be a work in progress as he acclimates to life in the big leagues and the Dodgers continue to tinker with his repertoire.