GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Even in practice, Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki draws a crowd.
The 23-year-old threw 27 pitches over two innings of live batting practice on Wednesday in front of hundreds of fans and several teammates. It also seemed like the entire Los Angeles Dodgers organization was watching behind home plate at Camelback Ranch.
Sasaki wasn't particularly fazed by the attention and looked much more comfortable than last week, when he was a little wild during a bullpen session in chilly weather. He recorded two strikeouts, including one on back-to-back splitters to Eddie Rosario.
“Because it was my first time, I was feeling out how things would go,” Sasaki said through an interpreter. “But I did feel like today went better than I felt in my bullpen.”
He gave up two line drives to Tommy Edman and David Bote. There were no fielders, but both were likely hits.
There was no official velocity for Sasaki's pitches but Bote said Sasaki's fastball felt like it was in the mid-90s. Sasaki flashed a 100 mph fastball in Japan, but is still working to regain velocity after dealing with shoulder inflammation last season.
“To throw a live BP with literally 50 people right behind you, that takes guts," Bote said. “The fact that he showed what he's about, how he can pitch and how he's going to handle all this, that's a mental side that's really cool for him.”
Manager Dave Roberts has said that Sasaki is a candidate to start the second game of the season when the Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 19.
“Roki is certainly talented,” Roberts said. “We've just got to continue to give him opportunities and experiences and he'll find his own way."
Sasaki agreed last month to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus as an international amateur free agent under Major League Baseball’s rules, leaving the Pacific League’s Chiba Lotte Marines under the posting system. Had he waited two more years, he likely could have commanded a nine-figure contract as a free agent not subject to signing bonus pools.
Sasaki is one of three Japanese players on the roster, along with National League MVP Shohei Ohtani and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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