Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki had a concerning reaction after his rough start against the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
Sasaki looked to be on the verge of tears after leaving Friday’s start at Petco Park in San Diego in the fifth inning. He had issued five walks through four innings as he battled his command.
In the dugout, Sasaki looked red-eyed as he watched following his departure.
Roki Sasaki looking visibly upset in the Dodgers dugout after being pulled from his outing against the Padres after issuing his fifth walk of the night. pic.twitter.com/GAgQLD4yfv
— Adrian Medina (@AdrianMedina_16) June 27, 2026
Concerningly, this is not the first time Sasaki has reacted this way to a poor outing. It had fans once again questioning the 24-year-old’s mental fortitude as he continues to struggle to put it all together.
The five walks were the biggest problem for Sasaki, who also allowed three earned runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. He joined the Dodgers to much fanfare prior to the 2025 season but has yet to live up to expectations with a 4.74 career ERA midway through his second season. He did show that he is capable of more when he allowed one earned run in 10.2 innings during last year’s playoffs, but the organization still has yet to see that consistently.
