Roki Sasaki will stay in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation when Blake Snell is ready to return, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday, pushing back any notion that the 23-year-old right-hander is headed to the bullpen after a rough stretch. Sasaki is scheduled to take the mound Sunday, April 13, 2026.
That decision gives Sasaki another chance to settle in after he allowed six runs and walked three batters in his most recent start against the Nationals. Roberts said Sasaki will not be relegated to relief when Snell comes back, even as the left-hander remains on track to rejoin the rotation next month following shoulder fatigue.
The Dodgers have leaned on their starting pitching in the early going, and the results have helped keep the bullpen fresh. On Saturday, Emmet Sheehan delivered a quality six-inning, three-run outing against the Texas Rangers, a follow-up to mechanical work the club identified in his delivery after fastball velocity dipped and his breaking pitches lost movement. After that outing, Sheehan said the fix came down to “a couple simple things” in his delivery and that it took a couple of starts for everything to click.
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Snell also took a step forward Saturday, throwing a simulated inning as he continues recovering from left shoulder fatigue. His return next month will force the Dodgers to make room in a rotation that has been one of the team’s strengths and has helped the bullpen stay rested.
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That leaves Sasaki with a clear test. The Dodgers want him to prove he can be a reliable big-league starter, and for now he has the chance to do it without losing his job to the bullpen. How he responds Sunday may say more about the club’s depth than any public assurance from Roberts.
