March 30, 2025 12:23 AM : Sasaki completed 1.2 innings against Detroit in a no-decision Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks while striking out two batters.
Analysis: As in his first big-league start, Sasaki battled his control while running up his pitch count. On Saturday, the right-hander needed 61 pitches to retire five batters and threw just 32 of those offerings for strikes. He's now issued nine free passes over just 4.2 frames in his first two major-league starts, though he's gotten away with yielding a relatively modest three runs over that span. Sasaki averaged just 2.0 walks per nine innings during his four seasons in Japan, so there's reason to believe that his early control issues will be corrected in time. However, until he is able to throw strikes more consistently -- especially with his off-speed offerings -- Sasaki figures to struggle to go deep into games.