Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

Under brilliant blue skies and the hot Arizona sun at Talking Stick, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-to-7. They lengthened their winning streak to five games.

After being a postseason hero, Roki Sasaki, 24, struggled in his Cactus League debut. Many other media outlets are panicking about Sasaki. However, every pitcher will have a bad outing during spring training.

Sasaki continues adjusting to the major leagues. His manager, Dave Roberts, thought he was “overthrowing.” Sasaki wants to impress as a Dodger after being a star pitcher in Japan. He allowed 3 earned runs in 1.1 innings on Wednesday.

He is working on developing a third pitch so that he can be a successful major league starter. As a reliever during the 2025 postseason, Sasaki had a 0.84 ERA. Many pundits think he should be a major league closer, but in Japan, relievers aren’t valued. In the United States, relievers don’t get the same money as starters.

Sasaki needs to relax and do what he can. After missing much of the 2025 regular season with right shoulder impingement, he will use this spring to build endurance, skills, and confidence. However, his first spring training outing doesn’t make or break the season.

Hyeseong Kim played center field for the first time this spring and looked great. On two fly balls, he had major league-ready jumps. He was also 2-for-3 with a stolen base. So far this spring, Kim is making a strong case to be the Dodgers’ Opening Day second baseman while Tommy Edman recovers from offseason ankle surgery.