The 23-year-old Japanese pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, nicknamed the "Reiwa Monster," took the mound for his fourth rehab start in Triple-A today (3rd). Surprisingly, he was severely hit in the first inning, allowing two two-run home runs and losing 4 runs, indicating that his return to the major leagues is still uncertain.

In this game, Sasaki faced the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated the goal was to pitch five innings and throw 75 pitches, emphasizing that future plans would depend on Sasaki’s performance and health status.

During the first inning, Sasaki initially recorded two outs with easy ground balls, but things quickly unraveled after he hit a batter. He then gave up a two-run homer to the fourth batter Zach Cole to right field, followed by a walk, and then allowed another two-run homer to the sixth batter Jon Singleton. At this point, the stadium lighting malfunctioned, causing a roughly 20-minute delay.

After the lights were restored, Sasaki’s performance gradually steadied. Although he struggled in the first inning, conceding 4 runs, he settled down and did not allow any more runs afterward. In the third inning, his fastest pitch reached 96.9 mph (about 155.9 km/h). He pitched a total of five innings, throwing 69 pitches, giving up 3 hits including 2 homers, with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks. This was his longest outing since returning.

Roberts recently commented, “Velocity and the ability to consistently hit the strike zone are very important; we hope Sasaki can show dominance in Triple-A.” However, after this outing, Sasaki’s ERA rose to 7.07, leaving his major league comeback uncertain.

Sasaki has now made four rehab starts in Triple-A, pitching a total of 14 innings, allowing 17 hits, 12 runs (11 earned), and issuing 8 walks, with an ERA of 7.07, reflecting a less-than-ideal performance. His fastest pitch this game was 96.9 mph, a noticeable drop from the previous outing’s 98.8 mph (about 158.9 km/h).