Dodgers Pressed to Shift Roki Sasaki Back to Bullpen Role

“They’ve got to put him back to where he found his greatest success, where his lack of a variety of pitches will not hurt him, where he can throw 100 mph for 20 pitches and save the team with his strength,” Plaschke wrote. “As last October showed everyone, the bullpen is where he belongs.”

Apr 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) stands on the mound during the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Why Would Roki Sasaki Work as a Reliever?

One thing Sasaki lacks which other starting pitchers across the league have is a diverse pitch mix. The young right-hander began working on a third and fourth pitch during the offseason, but still used his fastball and splitter more than 75% of the time.

The issue with Sasaki having so few pitches is the batters’ ability to see his stuff and adjust by the second or third time through the lineup. His limited arsenal makes him a perfect fit for the bullpen.

Plaschke didn’t just use hs pitch mix as proof, though, he also provided Sasaki’s statistics through his first two innings of his outings against the rest of the innings he’s pitched.

In the first two innings he has pitched across all of his outings this season, Sasaki is yet to allow an earned run. All 12 of the runs he’s allowed this season have come after the second inning.

As a reliever with a one-to-two inning runway, Sasaki is a prime candidate to trot out of the pen whenever the Dodgers need to get out of a pinch.

Are the Dodgers Likely to move Roki Sasaki out of the Bullpen?

Despite the multitude of evidence in favor of moving Sasaki to the bullpen, the Dodgers don’t seem willing to quit on their project just yet.

The Dodgers have some reinforcements coming to their rotation soon with Blake Snell on the mend, but manager Dave Roberts said Sasaki would remain a starter whenever that time comes.

When Blake comes back, Roki will not be in the bullpen,” Roberts said.

Do you think Roki Sasaki should move to the bullpen?