Roki Sasaki has become the story as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs play the second game of a three-game series in Los Angeles; Game 2 is scheduled Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX and many who search for dodgers game today are tuning in with that pitcher’s name top of mind.
Sasaki’s 2026 numbers are stark: a 6.11 ERA, a 1.87 WHIP and a 14.1% walk rate. The control troubles did not start this season — in 2025 he logged 54 regular-season innings and another 10.2 postseason innings, and even worked out of the bullpen that year, striking out six batters and walking five in that appearance — but the jump in walks has made every outing higher-stakes.
Analysts on a FOX Sports roundtable framed the issue the same way the Dodgers have: as a problem to manage rather than a crisis to solve. Rowan Kavner put it plainly: "They’re intent on letting him work out his issues in the big leagues, despite the control problems that persist." Kavner added the crucial caveat that makes that decision possible: "They can survive Sasaki’s volatility when Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow are excelling atop the rotation — combined, that trio has a 1.91 ERA with 91 strikeouts and 18 walks this year — and when Justin Wrobleski is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA as the team’s sixth starter." He later noted that "the Dodgers have the best starters’ ERA and WHIP in the National League."
That depth, analysts argued, is why the club is willing to give Sasaki a long leash. Deesha Thosar summarized the consensus bluntly: "The Dodgers have the type of depth that other executives dream about, making it a no-brainer to let Sasaki work out his troubles and give him a long leash, at that." She pushed back against the idea Sasaki’s struggles are destabilizing the staff: "It’s not like Sasaki is that much of a detriment that he’s throwing the Dodgers’ bullpen out of whack." And she noted plainly, "That 14.1% walk rate is up from last year."
The numbers behind those assessments are the story’s weight. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow have combined for a 1.91 ERA with 91 strikeouts and 18 walks in 2026, a level of performance that blunts the damage Sasaki can do on nights he’s wild. Justin Wrobleski’s 3-0 record and 1.88 ERA as the sixth starter provides further insurance, and the club expects another boost when Blake Snell returns sometime next month.
There is a tension between patience and consequence. Sasaki’s pedigree and innings from 2025 argue for continued investment: his workload that year included 54 regular-season innings and 10.2 in the postseason, and he has shown he can miss bats. But the rise in walks and the inflated ERA this year mean every mistake demands a cleaner response from the rest of the staff. Kavner captured that balance earlier: "They’re intent on letting him work out his issues in the big leagues, despite the control problems that persist." The Dodgers’ ability to absorb those mistakes is not theoretical — it is the practical reason the team is comfortable with his developmental trial.
What happens next matters for the Dodgers’ season now, not hypothetically later. If Yamamoto, Ohtani and Glasnow continue their dominance and Wrobleski holds form, the front office will keep Sasaki in the big-league rotation and let him work through the control issues under game conditions. If those pieces slip or an injury like River Ryan’s hamstring issue — he is being monitored carefully after missing last year while recovering from Tommy John surgery — forces the club to reshuffle, patience could shorten.
The clean conclusion from how the Dodgers are handling this is straightforward: given the rotation’s current performance and the looming return of Blake Snell, the team will continue to let Sasaki work through his problems in the majors rather than demote him or make a panic move. That is the wager — and it explains why a simple search for dodgers game today now carries two questions for fans when Game 2 begins Saturday: can Sasaki find enough command to be a steady piece, and will L.A.’s pitching depth hold up if he can’t?
