Notes: Roki Sasaki, Dave Roberts, 6-man rotation
01/14/2025 09:07 AM
LA is one of 3 finalists for the Japanese right-hander, Roberts talked about the Dodgers rotation and the return of Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May, plus a look at MLB starting pitcher rest patterns.
The Dodgers during the 2024 regular season had an actual starting pitcher (e.g. not a bullpen game) start on four days of rest only nine times, utilizing spot starts and scheduled off days whenever possible to give extra rest to members of the rotation.
Whether Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki is a part of the Dodgers' remains to be seen, but they are one of three finalists along with the Padres, and Blue Jays are the three finalists for his services.
Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic reported that Sasaki's recent visits to Toronto and San Diego were for multiple days each. Sasaki can sign with a team between January 15-23, with Ardaya and Rosenthal adding that the right-hander is "expected to wait until closer to the end" of that timeframe.
Mike Petriello at MLB.com wrote about how pitching on five days rest across the entire league has become more prevalent than pitching on four days rest. That first happened in 2021, then again in 2023 and 2024, with five-days-rest starts accounting for 42 percent of all starts last season. compared to just 32 percent of starts on four days of rest.
One reason for the shift toward more rest, which has been building for years, is that expanded playoffs have added to what is expected over the course of a truly full season. From Petriello:
When contenders look ahead to the 2025 season, then, they're not just planning for 162 games. They're also planning for the possibility of four rounds of playoffs, depending on if they get the bye and how far they advance. These are rounds, before the World Series at least, that legends like Sandy Koufax never had to worry about.
Committing to a true six-man rotation is difficult to maintain for any length of time, in part because it leaves roster room for only seven relievers instead of eight. That's why having Shohei Ohtani as one of the six pitchers is a roster advantage, because he's the only player in MLB who qualifies as a two-way player, and thus doesn't count against the 13-pitcher limit.
Ohtani won't be ready to start pitching right away once the season begins, as he's still rehabbing from his September 2023 elbow surgery, the second of his career. He's not alone on the Dodgers staff among pitchers returning from major elbow surgeries.
Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May each missed all of the 2024 season, but both could be ready to go early in 2025 if not the start. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was a guest Monday on Dodgers Territory with Alanna Rizzo and Clint Pasillas, and mentioned both pitchers as part of a potential rotation.
"I think the crux — what's going to be really telling — is how Gonsolin, Dustin May come back, guys like that, to make our decision harder," Roberts said Monday. "If they are knocking at the door and performing, those guys are going to deserve innings. If we can get those guys in the fold, and give other guys an extra rest, I think that would be of benefit."
