PITTSBURGH -- The Dodgers had been hopeful that Roki Sasaki would be built up enough to be an option for the big league club at this point in his rehab assignment. But his fourth outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City got off to a rough start.
Sasaki surrendered a pair of two-run homers in the first inning, but the rookie right-hander was able to regroup to complete five frames against the Astros' Triple-A affiliate in Sugar Land on Tuesday night. He retired 11 of his last 12 batters, including the last seven in a row.
Tommy Edman (right ankle sprain) and Kyle Hurt (Tommy John surgery) also made appearances for the Comets. Edman went 0-for-3 with a walk as the designated hitter, while Hurt gave up one run in one inning in his first affiliated game action since last year.
Given the results, and that the Dodgers have no immediate need for him at the big league level, it seems likely that Sasaki will remain with Oklahoma City for at least another start.
"Guys here are pitching well," manager Dave Roberts said before Sasaki's outing. "I’m not sure what that means for Roki after this one. Let’s just get through this one. Pitch well, [get] healthy, and then we’ll make a decision."
Sasaki has missed more than three months due to impingement in his right shoulder. He posted a 4.72 ERA through his first eight starts in the big leagues.
On Tuesday, Sasaki allowed four runs on three hits and two walks, striking out two. He threw 69 pitches (42 strikes). His final four innings were a positive, but he continued to deal with some familiar issues.
Sasaki struggled with his command in the first inning, walking one batter and hitting another. He generated five whiffs on his fastball, the most he's had in a game during this rehab assignment. But his velocity was down.
After sitting around 96 mph with his four-seamer in his previous two starts, Sasaki averaged 94.4 mph with the pitch on Tuesday. He maxed out at 96.9 mph.
Rehab assignments are typically more about getting feel back, rather than results. But the Dodgers would like to see Sasaki perform well. The objective is for him to build up his arm as well as his confidence in his stuff, a quality that the team feels has been lacking at times in his rookie season.
“The velocity needs to be consistent. The strike throwing needs to be consistent. Just having overall command," Roberts said recently. "The focus certainly is different in the big leagues vs. Triple-A, which is totally fair. But I do think that where he’s at, performing and dominating Triple-A hitting is something we should expect."