Messick shines; Sasaki set
Parker Messick dominated in Cleveland’s 4–2 win over the Dodgers in spring tune‑ups, a performance that turned heads heading into Opening Week. (sportsjone.com) Meanwhile, the Dodgers plan to slot Rōki Sasaki into the rotation for his 2026 debut after a shaky spring — a storyline worth watching for rotation depth across the league. (mlb.com)
Messick worked six scoreless innings, recording five strikeouts and surrendering five hits (four singles) in his outing. (mlb.com)) He needed only 76 pitches with 51 strikes, generated 10 whiffs and topped out at 95.5 mph on his four-seamer. (mlb.com)) A 2022 second-round pick, Messick debuted Aug. 20, 2025 and posted a 2.72 ERA across seven late-season starts as Cleveland experimented with a six-man mix. (mlb.com)) Los Angeles has listed Rōki Sasaki as one of the five expected starters to open the season alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Emmet Sheehan, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani. (si.com)) Sasaki’s spring included a rough outing in which he failed to record an out while allowing a grand slam to Kyle Manzardo and walking three batters in that appearance, and he finished spring training with control concerns cited in multiple reports. (dodgerblue.com)) Despite the uneven spring results, manager Dave Roberts has publicly maintained that he expects Sasaki to be part of the Opening Day rotation and the organization’s front office has repeatedly described him as a starter in their plans. (dodgerblue.com))
