Roki Sasaki's final start of first half still leaves plenty of Dodgers questions for rest of 2026

Despite giving up just three runs in six innings pitched against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki raised more questions than answers in his final appearance before the MLB All-Star Break.

Sasaki has all the talent in the world — moments of sheer brilliance that prove why the Dodgers broke out the big guns in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to convince him to sign — and others that suggest he's still struggling to acclimate to MLB. The kid is just 24 years old, after all.

It didn't help that Sasaki's last start prior to Wednesday was an embarrassing outing against the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers were convinced Sasaki was tipping his pitches, and he gave up six earned runs and three home runs against the lowly Padres lineup to boot. While the Dodgers were able to win Sasaki's start on Wednesday — and he pitched much better, for what it's worth — he mixed flashes of brilliance with, well, the unpredictability fans have grown accustomed to.

Can the Los Angeles Dodgers count on Roki Sasaki?

That's the biggest question for this Dodgers team heading into the second half. While Sasaki has thrived as a relief pitcher at times — even closing games for Los Angeles in the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays — they insist on utilizing him as a starting pitcher.

That's all fine and good, though Sasaki's unpredictable nature is an issue against high-caliber opponents. He can afford to get into trouble against the Rockies. The same can't be said of a pressurized start against the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, or Atlanta Braves in October.

Sasaki ended his first half with a 5.33 ERA in 16 starts. While Roberts was encouraged by his starter on Wednesday, the same cannot be said of Sasaki himself, who knows he needs to pitch better to remain an instrumental part of the Dodgers rotation.

"When you look at the numbers, I'm not satisfied with that," Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo. "But I was able to [stay in] the rotation and the velo's kind of gotten a little bit up. So I'm kind of happy with it."

In four starts between May and June, Sasaki showed was he's capable of, putting together the most consistent starting stretch of his career so far.

• May 17 vs. Los Angeles Angels: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
• May 23 vs. Milwaukee Brewers: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER (3 R), 2 BB, 4 K
• May 30 vs. Philadelphia Phillies: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
• June 5 vs. Los Angeles Angels: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

What makes those numbers all the more frustrating are his five starts since, which line up like this:

• June 12 vs Chicago White Sox: 4.1 IP, 7H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• June 19 vs Baltimore Orioles: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
• June 26 vs San Diego Padres: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
• July 3 vs San Diego Padres: 3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• July 8 vs Colorado Rockies: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

There are some positives for Sasaki to take into the All-Star Break. For example, he's had better control in his last two games, even if the Padres knew what was coming before the ball left his hand. His velocity has been up, and durability hasn't been an issue. The problem is, well, everything else. A strong second half would go a long way in solidifying his role.

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