GLENDALE, Ariz. — Even in observe, Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki attracts a crowd.
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The 23-year-old threw 27 pitches over two innings of stay batting observe on Wednesday in entrance of tons of of followers and several other teammates. It additionally appeared like your complete Los Angeles Dodgers group was watching behind residence plate at Camelback Ranch.
Sasaki wasn’t notably fazed by the eye and seemed rather more snug than final week, when he was just a little wild throughout a bullpen session in chilly climate. He recorded two strikeouts, together with one on back-to-back splitters to Eddie Rosario.
“Because it was my first time, I was feeling out how things would go,” Sasaki mentioned by an interpreter. “But I did feel like today went better than I felt in my bullpen.”
He gave up two line drives to Tommy Edman and David Bote. There have been no fielders, however each have been possible hits.
There was no official velocity for Sasaki’s pitches however Bote mentioned Sasaki’s fastball felt prefer it was within the mid-90s. Sasaki flashed a 100 mph fastball in Japan, however remains to be working to regain velocity after coping with shoulder irritation final season.
“To throw a stay BP with actually 50 folks proper behind you, that takes guts,” Bote said. “The fact that he showed what he’s about, how he can pitch and how he’s going to handle all this, that’s a mental side that’s really cool for him.”
Manager Dave Roberts has said that Sasaki is a candidate to start the second game of the season when the Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 19.
“Roki is certainly talented,” Roberts said. “We’ve just got to continue to give him opportunities and experiences and he’ll find his own way.”
Sasaki agreed final month to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus as a world newbie free agent beneath Main League Baseball’s guidelines, leaving the Pacific League’s Chiba Lotte Marines beneath the posting system. Had he waited two extra years, he possible may have commanded a nine-figure contract as a free agent not topic to signing bonus swimming pools.
Sasaki is certainly one of three Japanese gamers on the roster, together with Nationwide League MVP Shohei Ohtani and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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