Dave Roberts has seen enough. After Roki Sasaki got shelled again Thursday night, the Dodgers manager said the team is going to do a “deep dive” with the young right-hander to figure out what’s going wrong. That’s not the kind of meeting you want on your calendar.
Sasaki lasted just three innings against the San Diego Padres, giving up six runs on three home runs. Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth all took him deep. He walked two guys and his ERA shot up to 5.40. For a guy who was supposed to be a difference-maker after signing with the two-time defending champs, this is not the start anyone expected.
The California Post’s Jack Harris reported the news after the Dodgers rallied for a 12-7 win. Roberts said Sasaki will still make his next start, but the staff is going to tear into his mechanics and approach. One theory that came up: tipping pitches. Roberts mentioned that the Padres seemed to “be on everything,” which is the kind of thing that happens when a batter knows what’s coming.
A Bad Sign Against a Bad Offense
Here’s the thing that should worry the Dodgers. San Diego’s lineup is not exactly Murderers’ Row right now. They’re one of the worst offensive teams in baseball statistically. And they looked like the 1927 Yankees against Sasaki. That’s not a coincidence.
Sasaki clearly has talent. We saw it during LA’s 2025 championship run when he worked out of the bullpen and looked electric. But as a starter, he’s been all over the place. The velocity has fluctuated. The command comes and goes. And when he makes a mistake, it’s not just a hit — it’s a souvenir.
Roberts and the coaching staff are going to try to diagnose the issues and come up with a plan before his next outing. But if the stuff is genuinely dropping off, this might not be a quick fix. It could take weeks or even months for Sasaki to find a rhythm.
Depth Isn’t as Deep as It Looks
On paper, the Dodgers have a ton of starting pitching. But paper doesn’t throw 95 or stay healthy. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have their own injury histories, and if either of them goes down, Sasaki’s struggles start to look like a real problem for the rotation.
The Dodgers aren’t panicking yet. They’re too good and too experienced to hit the alarm after one bad month. But a deep dive is one step short of a demotion or a bullpen shift. If Sasaki can’t figure this out soon, the team might have to make some tough calls. The talent is there. The results aren’t. And that’s the part they need to fix.
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