Overview
- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he expects Roki Sasaki to open 2026 as a starter, per reporting relaying his on-the-record comments.
- Sasaki struck out nine over four innings in a minor league tune-up against White Sox prospects, throwing 59 pitches with 40 strikes and 17 whiffs.
- Despite an 18.90 ERA across two Cactus League starts, the team is continuing its planned build-up with simulated and backfields outings to keep him stretched out.
- The projected rotation features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan and Sasaki, with Blake Snell and Gavin Stone considered midseason return candidates.
- Sasaki spent time on the 60-day IL with a shoulder issue in 2025 but excelled in a late-season relief role, and the offseason additions of Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker lessen any urgency to shift him back to the bullpen.