The roar that greeted Roki Sasaki’s arrival in Dodger blue last winter still echoes. Fans packed forums and social feeds with visions of that devastating splitter and triple-digit heat anchoring a rotation already stacked with aces. Yet 2025 delivered a gut-check instead of a coronation.

The 24-year-old right-hander flashed brilliance in flashes before shoulder impingement shelved him, only for him to morph into a postseason weapon out of the bullpen. Now, on the eve of another campaign, manager Dave Roberts has dropped the hammer: Sasaki will break camp in the starting rotation.

“He’s going to be one of our starters,” Roberts told reporters Wednesday. “He’s obviously got things to prove—consistency of getting guys out, consistency of strike throwing. But he’s going to get that opportunity to start the season and we’ll see where we go from there.”

After all, Sasaki made just eight starts before landing on the IL in May with right shoulder impingement. In 34⅓ innings he posted a 4.72 ERA and issued 22 walks, battling command issues that turned too many at-bats into adventures. The numbers weren’t pretty. But flip the page to October and the story flipped with it. Deployed as the high-leverage closer, Sasaki delivered nine appearances of near-perfection—one earned run total—helping propel the Dodgers to another World Series run.

Spring training 2026 hasn’t exactly been a coronation either. Sasaki’s three outings have produced a bloated 13.50 ERA, the kind of line that would send most fans into full panic mode. Roberts, though, isn’t losing sleep. He sees the bigger picture: a young arm learning how to compete when the fastball isn’t quite there and the splitter isn’t biting.

“The experience will aid Roki Sasaki in finding ways to compete even when things are not working for him,” the skipper said.

Sasaki isn’t just another arm; he’s the international prize who chose Dodger Stadium over every other suitor. The organization is handing him the ball on Opening Day not because the numbers say so, but because they believe the talent—and the heart—will catch up.