Roki Sasaki’s MLB debut at Dodger Stadium did not go well. The Japanese star suffered against the Detroit Tigers after 61 pitches in only 1.2 innings. Sasaki, who has a strong success record, had experienced defeat and was emotionally upset. After his disastrous start, the Dodgers took him off the mound.
The Japanese star was caught tearing up on camera in the dugout. It’s pretty common for a pitcher to experience struggle in his debut. Moving to the MLB from Japan has not been easy on Sasaki. There’s a lot of pressure pitching for the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. His debut brought a lot of criticism from several fans and MLB enthusiasts.
Former San Diego Padres star Eric Hosmer was the latest to discuss Roki Sasaki’s disaster. However, after analyzing a video, Hosmer accused the pitcher of using a sticky substance. Dave Roberts pulled Sasaki off the mound, and the video shows Sasaki avoiding using his fingers. While it’s probably just his habit, Hosmer said his hands were sticky.
“Hand is obviously sticky! Seems like Roki is having a tough time blending his tang to get the right grip on these MLB balls. Somebody give him a hug!” Hosmer wrote on X.
Dodgers fans condemned Eric Hosmer for blaming Sasaki for something he wasn’t sure of. The former MLB star garnered a lot of hate after his recent comment.
Any pitcher could take time to transition from pitching in Japan to Major League Baseball. Sasaki was familiar with the Japanese ball, the crowd, and how everything worked. It’s natural for a pitcher to take a while and settle down.
Sasaki must find his command and hope to become familiar with the league. Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a rough start in the big leagues, yet he settled down and emerged as one of the top pitchers.
There’s no evidence that Roki Sasaki used the sticky substance. Dodgers players and fans hope he gets back on track and finds his command soon. Fans have extended their support for Sasaki when he was criticized by many.
