Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki not concerned about spring struggles

SURPRISE, Ariz. –– The way Roki Sasaki sees it, there’s nothing to be concerned about yet.

His lack of results, however, still aren’t causing him to show any concern.

“If I’m able to pitch the entire season,” he said in Japanese on Tuesday night, “I don’t think anyone will remember spring training.”

For now, the 24-year-old phenom better hope that’s the case.

Because in his latest Cactus League start against the Kansas City Royals, his rollercoaster form was back in full, unsettling swing.

Through his first couple innings Tuesday, the second-year right-hander was starting to look like an MLB-caliber starting pitcher, showing improved fastball command and –– more importantly –– consistent feel for his newly-added cutter.

But then, as has so often been the case in his transition to Major League Baseball, the wheels fell off fast and unforgivingly.

In the third inning, Sasaki walked three straight batters, continuing his camp-long struggles with staying in the strike zone.

And after being removed from the game there, then re-entering in the fourth, he gave up a two-run homer on a no-doubt drive to left.

In the end, Sasaki’s line was once again ugly: 3 ⅓ innings, three runs, four hits and four walks, albeit with five strikeouts mixed in.

And for all the progress he showed with the cutter, an all-important third pitch that accounted for three of his strikeouts and generated whiffs on three of six swings, the overall product remained underwhelming –– especially for a pitcher the Dodgers have penciled into their opening-day rotation.

“I’m not worried about the results,” manager Dave Roberts said, also trying to downplay the pitcher’s 13.50 ERA through three Cactus League outings. “It’s more of just being able to make the in-game adjustments sooner. Because you’re not always gonna have your best stuff. You’re not always gonna have the perfect command. But you still gotta find a way to get outs. So I think that’s something he’s gotta learn to do.”

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To this point in camp, the only one of Sasaki’s outings that hasn’t raised such doubts was the one he made against Chicago White Sox minor-leaguers in a B-game last week, which he effectively got through on the strength of his trademark splitter.

Every other time out, when there are big-league hitters in the batter’s box, his inconsistent delivery seems to spring a new leak.

In his first two Cactus League appearances, he blamed his shaky stuff on mechanical adjustments to both his upper body and lower half. On Tuesday, he said his three-walk third inning happened because he was working on his sinker.

“It kind of caused my forearm to pronate a little more,” he said. “Also, my arm slot was a little down.”

Even after returning to the mound in the fourth inning, however, more problems surfaced. After giving up his two-run blast, which came on an inside fastball to minor-league catcher Luca Tresh, a trainer came to check on Sasaki because of what he later said were cramps developing in both of his calves.

Sasaki’s night ended on another sour note in the fifth, when Starling Marte clobbered a double off the wall in center.

In all, he landed only 38 of his 71 pitches for strikes, retired only 10 of the 18 batters he faced, and once again left Roberts trying to explain the team’s continued faith in his starting ability.

“I know there are some things he was working through tonight, but when you’re in the middle of a game you gotta adjust quicker,” Roberts said. “As a starter, you gotta be efficient. Because you’re expected to take down 20 to 23, 24 hitters a night. So you gotta be able to do that with some efficiency.”

For now, Sasaki’s inability to do so doesn’t appear to have put his rotation spot in jeopardy.

Coming off his surprise emergence as the team’s playoff closer last October –– which erased the memories of the 4.72 ERA he had in eight starts before suffering an early-season shoulder injury –– the Dodgers are still counting on him to start games come the regular season.

Thus, perhaps months from now, nights like Tuesday will indeed be a distant memory. He is still throwing his fastball in the upper-90s. He is still getting helpless swings when he gets ahead and snaps off a splitter. He is still showing growth with the addition of the cutter to his ever-evolving arsenal.

Putting all those pieces together, however, remains an ongoing challenge.

And while the results might not be of concern at the moment, games that count are approaching quickly.

“With Roki, when it’s good, it’s really good,” Roberts said. “(We’re) just trying to get him to be efficient in the strike zone.”