MLB’s No. 1 prospect and all the talks about his next start—feels like it’s been going on forever, right? The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki hasn’t been in top form lately. His struggles on the mound were clear in both of his first two starts. And this isn’t the kind of rookie season fans were hoping for. The pressure of playing in the majors seemed to weigh heavily on him during that second start and it clearly showed on his face. Now, that raises plenty of questions in the Dodgers camp about when he’ll be back on the mound, doesn’t it?

However, Dave Roberts, the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has nothing but praise for Roki Sasaki, who is currently one of their most valuable MLB pitchers. So what did Roberts say?

There were rumors of some decisions to move Sasaki to the Triple-A Oklahoma City. But Roberts stressed how well the pitcher has been doing ever since he struggled in his debut at the Dodgers Stadium. Roberts said, “I think that he’s handling it well. I want him to continue to stay out there and stay visible. He’s not used to having some struggles, and I think that this is an opportunity for him to fight back and answer back.”

Frankly, its too early to judge a player based on just two performances. However, going by his bullpen performance, Roberts has instilled faith in him and is expecting his return on Saturday.

Well, the Los Angeles Dodgers, as we all know, boasts of an excellent farming and support system. It would definitely help him to identify the areas that need to be improved. It will, though, depend on how well he manages to address the problems and rise above the challenges. While Sasaki is slated to start on Saturday during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Citizens Bank Park might not be the ideal place to start.

Yet Dave Roberts has trusted him, hoping that he would be able to handle himself. But will that be possible? 

Roki Sasaki’s pitching disaster might pull him back into the minor league

Even the best of players crumble in pressure situations, so why not Roki Sasaki? Ever since the 23-year-old pitcher’s debut turned into a disaster, there has been a massive outburst among the fans and MLB analysts, causing huge debates all around. While social media can be a source of both motivation and criticism, Roki Sasaki will need to tune out the outside noise and focus solely on the areas of improvement. Otherwise, the inevitable may happen, right? 

Sasaki pitched only 1.2 innings, and he allowed two runs and four walks as well. He was pulled out right after that, and his teary eyes indicated what was going through him at the moment. What was expected to be a memorable debut for him quickly turned into a disaster. He struggled with the ball, and his pitches weren’t hitting the perfect zones. This led to his struggles against the Detroit Tigers.

He even struggled against the Chicago Cubs, where he pitched 4.2 innings, giving away 9 walks with four strikeouts at a 5.79 ERA and 2.79 WHIP. Given how Roki Sasaki’s been performing, it could be a worrying sign for the Dodgers.

It might even result in sending Sasaki to the minor leagues. Again, that’s one of the worst case scenarios and the young star might just pick himself up. What do you think will happen? Let us know in the comments section below.