Sasaki’s Dodgers debut slated for Tuesday
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Another exciting spring debut is on tap for the Dodgers, as Roki Sasaki is set to make his first appearance in the Cactus League next Tuesday night against the Reds, manager Dave Roberts said.
First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. MT/5:05 p.m. PT at Camelback Ranch, and the game will be broadcast on SportsNet LA, MLB Network and MLB.TV (for out-of-market viewers).
Sasaki will not start the spring tilt, but rather follow Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who’s scheduled to build up to about four innings. The plan is for Sasaki to enter the game at a predetermined time and get through at least three innings, “maybe touch a fourth,” per Roberts.
Yamamoto and Sasaki are expected to take the mound on their home soil next month in Japan, when the Dodgers open the season against the Cubs in the two-game Tokyo Series from March 18-19. Yamamoto will likely pitch the opener, and Sasaki would go in Game 2.
Having both of them pitch on Tuesday lines them up to make another Cactus League appearance apiece before the Dodgers depart for Tokyo following their spring finale on March 11.
Sasaki opted to sign with the Dodgers this past offseason, when he was posted by his NPB team, the Chiba Lotte Marines. Over his four seasons with the Marines, Sasaki went 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in 394 2/3 innings.
