Andrew Friedman Reveals Why Dodgers are Keeping Roki Sasaki in MLB Amid Struggles

There's a key reason why the Dodgers won't demote the Japanese fireballer.

May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) reacts after a home run by San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) in the second inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers' starting rotation boasts Cy Young winners and All-Stars, but it also features one of the most highly-touted young pitchers in the world.

Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki was pursued by most teams in the league when he was posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball team last offseason. This wasn't a typical free agent process as teams couldn't just throw money at Sasaki.

Instead, teams were tasked with convincing Sasaki to join their ranks. The right-hander ultimately chose to sign with the Dodgers under the bright lights of Hollywood.

Choosing LA inevitably meant there would be enormous amounts of pressure on Sasaki to find early success. His dominance overseas has yet to translate to stateside baseball, but there have been flashes of brilliance.

For one, Sasaki became the Dodgers' secret weapon in last year's postseason after he made the temporary transition to the bullpenat the end of the year. He sported a 0.84 ERA across 10.2 innings as manager Dave Roberts named Sasaki the Dodgers closer for the playoffs.

But many Dodgers fans have long forgotten about his October heroics and have grown tired of the right-hander's struggles in the rotation this season. Sasaki has produced a 5.88 ERA with 31 strikeouts across 33.2 innings pitched (seven starts) in 2026.

Quite frankly, had Sasaki been any other young pitcher, the Dodgers would have demoted him to the minors so he can regroup. However, Sasaki isn't just any young arm.

He is considered one of the greatest young pitchers in the world. The right-hander is simply too good to pitch in the minors, especially because of the gap between the big leagues and the minors nowadays.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained why Sasaki remains in the rotation, despite his ongoing struggles early in the year.

“The feedback he gets from major-league hitters is really important,” Friedman said. “This is a really talented pitcher who, when delivery and throw and everything is synced up, can really spot a fastball. We haven’t seen that as much here and now. Some of that’s the ball. Some of it may be giving hitters too much credit. Some of it may be the delivery, but those are all things that him facing the best of the best, helps us get there.”

The Dodgers are prepared to accept the painful growing pains in order to develop Sasaki into a bona fide ace in MLB. His transition has by no means been smooth, but Friedman appears to be focused on the long-term when it comes to the right-hander.

The Dodgers dynasty won't last forever, but if the organizations plays its cards right, the era can be prolonged with the right mix of young talent. Sasaki is one of the many young stars the Dodgers are counting on to carry the torch in the foreseeable future.

That can't happen if Sasaki isn't properly developed. While fans are questioning the Dodgers' decision, it appears the team is set on keeping Sasaki in MLB as he navigates his struggles.

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