On Tuesday night, Roki Sasaki made his spring training debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Cincinnati Reds, pitching three shutout innings.
Sasaki walked one batter, struck out five, and gave up two hits. 26 of the 46 pitches the right-hander threw were for strikes.
Before Sasaki entered the game, World Series winner Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched four innings of two-run ball.
In the fifth inning, the Reds placed two runners on with one out, but Sasaki got out of the jam by striking out Matt McLain and TJ Friedl, both of whom were looking.
Sasaki retired Noelvi Marte on a popup to first in the sixth with runners on second and third with two outs.
The Dodgers proceeded to win 4–2.
In January, the 23-year-old Sasaki accepted a minor league deal with Los Angeles that includes a $6.5 million signing bonus. According to Major League Baseball regulations, he was regarded as an international amateur free agent, therefore the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League were subject to the posting system.
Sasaki might have demanded a nine-figure salary as a free agent if he had waited another two years.
Sasaki joins Yamamoto and National League MVP Shohei Ohtani as the Dodgers’ third Japanese player.
On March 19, Sasaki may start in the team’s second regular-season game in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.
