By Drew VonScioShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki didn't have the rookie season he likely imagined.
He posted a 4.46 ERA in just 10 appearances before being injured. Once he returned, the Dodgers used him as a closer en route to winning another World Series.
The Dodgers don't see him as a reliever anymore. They want him to be a starter in their rotation and pitch every five or six days. Dodgers insider Katie Woo reported on Wednesday that the organization still believes he has the potential to be an elite starting pitcher for a long time.
..."Skepticism is fair considering how his rookie season went," Woo wrote for The Athletic. "But Sasaki has the potential to be a generational talent. He has one of the highest ceilings in baseball, and he’s only 24. The Dodgers can afford to be patient with him as a starter — and they should be."
With Blake Snell and Gavin Stone injured to start the season, it's even less likely the Dodgers would start the season with Sasaki in the bullpen. He's going to be a part of the team's rotation.
The Dodgers are an organization that is used to getting what they want whenever they want it. In this case, however, the organization likely needs to change its plans with Sasaki. He may require most of the season to settle into pitching in the big leagues, if not all of it.
Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts both know he can be a top pitcher in baseball for the next 12-15 years, but he won't bloom into the ace they think he can be overnight.
More MLB: Josh Hader Injury Gives Veteran Reliever New Opportunity
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