Roki Sasaki has temporarily transitioned to the bullpen, but American media describe this as a major failure.

Yesterday, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki appeared in Triple-A minor league, pitching one scoreless inning in relief with a top speed reaching 97.9 mph (about 157.5 km/h). He has pitched two consecutive scoreless outings, gradually regaining his form. Manager Dave Roberts praised his performance and revealed that they have scheduled a meeting in Arizona to plan his return to the major leagues as a bullpen pitcher.

However, public opinion on this first-year foreign "fireballer" has been less than optimistic. Sasaki, known for his fastballs exceeding 100 mph, was expected to be the Dodgers’ future ace and drew attention at the season’s start. Yet, in his first eight starts, he posted only a 1-1 record with a mediocre 4.72 ERA, and an injury in mid-May sidelined him, causing his ace aspirations to fade. With Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto anchoring the starting rotation, Sasaki’s role has become increasingly uncertain.

American media outlet Dodgers Way even named him as one of “three players gradually being excluded from the Dodgers’ 2026 future plans,” bluntly stating: “This is not the development the Dodgers hoped for; it can even be called a complete failure. The team functions fine without him in the rotation.” The article also mentioned that the organization might permanently assign him as a reliever or even consider trading him.

Despite ongoing criticism, the Dodgers initially recruited Roki Sasaki not only for his talent but also for long-term potential and commercial value. His move to the bullpen represents both a challenge and a fresh opportunity. Overcoming injury setbacks and control issues to prove he still has ace-level ability will be Sasaki’s biggest task moving forward.