Roki Sasaki delivered one of his strongest performances on Tuesday night during his fifth rehab start with the Oklahoma City Comets, the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate. He threw 90 pitches, with 52 strikes, over 4.2 innings, giving up three hits and striking out eight. Overall, he was dominant until the fifth inning, when he allowed three runs and issued four walks.

Sasaki’s free agency journey was one of the biggest storylines of the winter. At one point, it appeared the San Diego Padres were the frontrunners, offering Sasaki the chance to follow in the footsteps of his idol Yu Darvish, arguably the best pitcher ever to leap from Japan. On the other hand, the Dodgers represented the chance to reunite with his 2022 World Baseball Classic teammates, including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ultimately, Sasaki chose Los Angeles, banking on the Dodgers’ track record of developing pitchers and their ability to help him regain some of the velocity he had lost in recent seasons.

The hype surrounding Sasaki’s signing was immense. Fans and media alike envisioned another dominant arm to add to the Dodgers’ already loaded rotation. But the transition has been far from seamless. Adjusting to a new country, a new league, and a higher level of competition has presented challenges. In eight starts with the Dodgers before his option to Triple-A, Sasaki posted a 1-1 record across 34 innings, carrying a 4.72 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. Compared to Yamamoto, who thrived in his rookie season with the Dodgers, Sasaki has looked less polished, which the team anticipated given his age and development stage.

As the Dodgers push for yet another division crown with a rotation anchored by Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Emmet Sheehan, Sasaki’s role remains uncertain. For now, he is expected to stay in Triple-A, where he can continue refining his mechanics and building consistency. Still, a late-season return isn’t out of the question. With some arms struggling in high-leverage situations, the Dodgers could consider deploying Sasaki out of the bullpen, giving them a fresh option capable of handling key innings. While that scenario remains speculative, the broader expectation is that Sasaki will be fully ready by 2026, starting the year with a clean slate and positioned to contribute from the outset of the new season.