GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Roki Sasaki's first impression was one to remember.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' newest star threw three scoreless innings in his spring training debut Tuesday night, striking out five Cincinnati Reds and leaving with a 2-1 deficit when he finished the seventh inning at Camelback Ranch.
The 23-year-old Sasaki signed with the Dodgers in January following a lengthy recruiting process in which he chose them over the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays after starring for four seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. With a $6.5 million bonus, Sasaki received a fraction of what he would have had he waited two more years and came to Major League Baseball as an international free agent.
Sasaki, who debuted after a four-inning start from countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto, shook off a shaky beginning in which he allowed a hard-hit single to Austin Wynns and followed with a 97 mph fastball to the gut of Stuart Fairchild, who was squaring to bunt. Sasaki then struck out two Reds regulars, TJ Friedl and Matt McLain, looking at devastating split-fingered fastballs.
A leadoff double from All-Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz, a walk to Christian Encarnacion-Strand and a wild pitch left Sasaki facing trouble in the sixth, but he induced a popout from Noelvi Marte to conclude the inning. Two more strikeouts in the seventh ended his night on 46 pitches, 26 of which were strikes.
Sasaki's fastball, which has topped out at 102.5 mph, reached a maximum velocity of 99.3 on Tuesday and averaged 98. He threw 18 splitters, generating swinging strikes on seven -- reinforcing the belief that that pitch will be his best as he joins the Dodgers' rotation this year.
Yamamoto and Sasaki are expected to start the games March 18 and 19 in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs that will kick off the 2025 MLB season.
