In baseball, life comes at you quickly, especially for those on the mound.<\/p>\n
This can especially be said for the Los Angeles Dodgers sophomore right-hander Roki Sasaki.<\/p>\n
“The Monster of the Reiwa Era” was the most sought-after free agent heading into the 2025 season. And it was the Dodgers who landed his services in January of that year.<\/p>\n
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It only bolstered their starting rotation, which included the likes of Yohsinobu Yamamoto and the soon-to-pitch Shohei Ohtani.<\/p>\n
His first year was more than highly anticipated; it came with immense pressure to perform at the highest level like his fellow countrymen.<\/p>\n
Sasaki went through the trials and tribulations one faces in their rookie year \u2014 probably more than people expected \u2014 and it was an adjustment and a half.<\/p>\n
He tallied 10 appearances for the Dodgers, eight of which he started, and recorded an ERA of 4.46 and 28 strikeouts in 36 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n
Numbers speak for themselves, but those were thrown to the wayside once the calendar turned to October.<\/p>\n
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Sasaki acted as the premier arm coming out of the bullpen for the Dodgers in crucial spots in last year’s postseason.<\/p>\n
His contributions in big spots were detrimental to the Dodgers’ winning back-to-back titles.<\/p>\n
Fast forward to spring, with a full MLB season under his belt, the Dodgers expected to have their starter back.<\/p>\n
Just like his first season, it’s been a rollercoaster of highs and lows.<\/p>\n
His fastball command has been a persistent issue that has arisen during camp.<\/p>\n
Despite the inconsistencies, the Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts have put their continued trust in Sasaki.<\/p>\n
This became even more evident with Roberts telling the media on Tuesday morning that he can’t imagine a world in which Sasaki is not a starter.<\/p>\n
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The Dodgers were busy at Camelback Ranch, facing off against the Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> on Tuesday afternoon. But Sasaki would have some work to do as well.<\/p>\n