Former Padres veteran accuses Roki Sasaki of cheating in Dodgers home debut

It's safe to say that the beginning of the Roki Sasaki era in Los Angeles hasn't exactly gone according to plan.

The 23-year-old Japanese pitching phenom was the most coveted free agent on the international market during the offseason until the Dodgers finally signed him to a minor league contract in late January. He made the first start of his MLB career with the Dodgers in his home country nearly two months later at the MLB Tokyo Series, but he was pulled after giving up one run on one hit and walking five. It took him 56 pitches to get through three innings.

Sasaki's first stateside start with the Dodgers was even worse. Facing the Detroit Tigers, he gave up a pair of runs on three hits and walked four. He threw 61 pitches this time, and he didn't even last two full innings.

And yet, even with those poor early results, Sasaki was still slapped with cheating allegations by a former Dodgers rival.

Former Padres veteran accuses Roki Sasaki of cheating in Dodgers home debut

Eric Hosmer, a 13-year MLB veteran who spent parts of five seasons playing for the San Diego Padres from 2018-22 before retiring in 2023, took to social media following Sasaki's calamitous start against Detroit an levied some pretty hefty accusations against the rookie right-hander.

“Hand is obviously sticky!” Hosmer posted on X, in response to a video of Sasaki getting pulled from the game by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “Seems like Roki is having a tough time blending his tang to get the right grip on these MLB (baseballs). Somebody give him a hug!”

First of all, the video in question fails to offer any proof that Sasaki was using any sticky substance to aid his grip, which would be a violation of MLB's foreign substance ban. Second of all, even if Sasaki had been cheating by using "sticky stuff" in either of his first two starts, it clearly didn't give him any sort of advantage.

While Hosmer's baseless accusations probably shouldn't be taken seriously, Sasaki's early struggles may have to be. An adjustment period was to be expected when he first came to North America; however, if he continues to struggle, the Dodgers may need to consider a temporary move to the bullpen or the minor leagues to help with his development.

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